Tales from the Other Side
by KingdomKey23
Summary: A continuation of KH:TNV. Roxas thought he lived a normal life in Twilight Town. But when he starts having dreams about someone named Sora, his life might not be all that it seems.
1. Prologue: Another Side

A/N: Your eyes are not deceiving you. What you are about to read is the next installment in my Kingdom Hearts: The Nintendo Version series. However, I decided to do something a little different. As you know, in the real KH2, the game starts with a three hour prologue starring Roxas. Yeah. That's pretty long. On top of that, the whole transition between this and the main game felt weird to me. One minute, dark. Next minute, happy-go-lucky. So I decided to make the Roxas opening its own separate story. That way, when we reach KH2:TNV, we can pick up where Sora left off. As always, enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: Any of the characters used in this story are properties of Square-Enix, Disney, and Nintendo. I do not claim them as my own. This work is purely fan-made.

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><p><strong>Prologue: Another Side…<strong>

"_A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory. A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream. I want to line the pieces up—yours and mine." _

The heart, the mind, and the soul – three parts of the human anatomy that makes someone feel complete. When a person wakes up, they are greeted by the wondrous mystery known as life. Every day is fraught with adventure for complete beings. They wander the road of the unknown, expressing their experiences through raw emotions – from the uplifting feeling of elation, to the dark, somber sensation of sorrow. It is the delicate balance of the heart, mind, and soul that allow humans to exist.

But, what would happen if someone was born without one of those components? How would they act? Or, better yet, would they be able to live?

A mysterious cloaked figure sat on a rock, all alone on a dark, gloomy beach. Unlike the sunny beaches children would frolic on, this beach was deprived of life. The only thing that kept it from sinking into perpetual darkness was the illuminating moon, which was situated near the horizon. The cloaked figure looked out at the horizon, mentally comparing its lifeless status to his life.

The figure felt a strong presence approaching him; it was so close that it was practically breathing on the figure's neck. Turning to the left, the cloaked figure saw an oval shaped portal of darkness appear right in front of him. A figure donning the same cloak walked out of the portal, and slowly approached the person on the rock.

"You have arrived," the one on the rock said.

The person spoke with a deep male voice. Yet, there was a bit of a drawl in it.

"I've been to see him," the man continued. "There is no mistake about it – he looks a lot like you."

The second person spoke up. "That's interesting to hear. But there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Oddly enough, the voice of the second person could not be heard.

"Who are you?" the second person continued.

A smirk managed to escape the man's mouth. Such a simplistic question; and yet, it was one question he could not answer easily.

"I'm all that's left," the man answered.

He paused; his mind was caught in the catacombs of contemplation.

He turned back to the horizon. "Or…maybe I'm all there ever was."

"I meant your name."

The first man shook his head. "My name is of no importance."

The first man glanced at his doppelganger, asking, "What about you? Do you remember your true name?"

"My name is…."

Darkness. Nothing but darkness covered the area. Not a sound could be heard, nor could a person be seen. The only thing heard was the voice of a little girl.

"Sora?"

A static like sound could be heard as an image faded in. It was unclear at first, but it soon became visible. It showed a young man with brown spiky hair, wearing a red jumpsuit, asleep on a beautiful beach. The young man wore fingerless gloves on his hands; he had on a short black light-jacket, and had two giant yellow shoes on his feet. He opened his dark blue eyes, and sat up, letting out a big yawn. As he slowly rested his head on the ground, he was startled to see a girl with red hair. The screen fizzed as the boy sat back up, surprised. The boy turned around to see a young girl wearing a white sleeveless shirt and a pink skirt. She giggled at the boy.

"Kai—" the boy started to say, but was cut off by the static.

The boy continued after saying the girl's name. "Do you always have to sneak up on me like that? Give me a break!"

The scene changed to the spiky haired boy running with another boy. The other boy had long silver hair. He wore a yellow sleeveless shirt with black stripes traveling along the edges. He wore blue jeans and blue shoes.

"Giving up already?" the silver haired boy asked playfully.

Strangely, the words did not come out of his mouth. It was almost like a voiceover for a motion picture. The screen flickered again, and it showed the three kids hanging out on a small island. The spiky haired boy and the girl were sitting on a leaned over tree, while the silver haired boy rested against it. They were watching the beautiful sunset.

"If there are any other worlds out there, why were we born on this one?" the silver haired boy asked.

The screen flickered again as the brown haired boy looked at the girl. The scene changed to the brown haired boy looking at a drawing on the wall of him and the girl.

"This world has been connected," a mysterious male voice said.

The screen flickered again to show the boy confronting a person wearing a brown cloak.

"Wh-who are you?" the boy asked nervously.

"Tied to the darkness…" the man said.

Yet again, the screen flickered. It cut to the spiky haired boy sitting on a dock; the girl was sitting right next to him.

The girl stood up. "Sora, don't ever change."

The peaceful mood that was shown so far abruptly changed to the silver haired boy holding his hand out to Sora. A giant pool of darkness was consuming them.

"The door has opened…" the silver haired boy said (once again, in a voiceover).

"What did you say?" Sora asked suspiciously.

The screen flickered again. A bunch of green numbers could be seen as the screen transitioned to the next scene. Sora was now on a piece of what remained of his island. High, violent wind currents caused debris and wooden planks to go flying. Sora turned around to see a giant black monster with tentacles for hair. It stared viscously at the boy.

"You understand nothing," the voice of the brown cloaked man said.

The screen flickered again, showing Sora and the girl in the cave. The girl was as pale as a ghost. Behind her was a brown door that flung open. A powerful wind emerged from the door, sending her flying right at Sora.

"So…ra…" she said weakly.

As she flew right into Sora's arms, she vanished suddenly. The powerful wind knocked Sora out of the cave.

A clock radio went off.

* * *

><p>"Goooood morning, everyone! This is Jammin' Josh here for TWL 99.5! Your non-stop place for morning music! It's currently seventy five degrees out, perfect for your youngster to go out and play during the last week of summer vacation!"<p>

Before the excited voice could continue, a hand slammed down on the snooze button, turning the radio off. The hand belonged to a young man with blonde spiky hair, who was awoken by the voice of the radio DJ. The boy slowly sat up in his bed, all while grunting and groaning. As he completely sat up, his sky blue eyes scanned the room to make sure everything was there. His room was average sized. In front of him were twisted shelves that held his books and other miscellaneous items, including a stack full of cardboard boxes.

As he continued scanning the room, he saw his TV in the corner, and some of his neon lamps near his bed (one lamp in particular had fish rotating around it). The boy rubbed his temples, trying to piece together everything that happened while he was dreaming. He rested his arm on his right knee.

"Another dream about him," the boy murmured; he was a bit drowsy. "Just who is he?"

The boy took a moment to fully wake up. He heard the sound of huge bells ringing in the distance. The sound came from his window. When he turned to it, he saw the majestic glow from the rising sun. The boy got onto his knees and pushed open the window's double doors. He looked out to see the various buildings of his home town. The bells he was hearing were now loud and clear.

A content smile appeared on his face. If there was one thing he was thankful for, it was being safe and sound in his hometown. He could not be happier living in this town.

A town known as Twilight Town….

**Tales from the Other Side**

**By: Kingdomkey23**

_In commemoration of Kingdom Hearts' 10__th__ anniversary. May our hearts always stay connected..._

A/N: Updates will be every Wednesday and Saturday.


	2. Chapter 1

**Day 1**

**Chapter I: Wrongfully Accused **

Ever feel like you're missing something, even though that something is technically there? No, I'm not trying to be deep or anything. That's not my intention. It's just the way I feel every day. Can't explain why. Well, maybe I can. A little bit. You know how we sometimes fake an emotion, right? Like say a friend of yours acted poorly in the school's play, and you don't want to make him feel bad. You tighten the edges of your mouth; form that awkward smile and say, "No, man. You were great!"

Yeah. Try to imagine that for every emotional response. Whenever I reacted with an emotion, it didn't feel real. Sure, you could see me laughing with my friends, or get angry with someone, but the feeling wasn't there. It made me wonder if that's how every person acted. I was your typical teenager living in Twilight Town: I went to school, hung out with friends, came home for dinner, and then went to bed. Maybe it was how all teenagers felt. If that's the case, why was I the only one concerned over it?

Oh, wait. Concerned is an emotion; wouldn't that mean I'm not concerned? Ugh! I'm overanalyzing things again. Doesn't help that my recent dreams have been about some kid (around my age) with spiky brown hair. Every detail of him was vivid; he wore a red jumpsuit with a black and white overjacket. He had on a silver necklace with a crown symbol, and he wore giant banana-colored shoes that would make a clown fraught with envy.

Don't know why I dream about him. We never met before. Yet he feels familiar to me. It's bizarre. From what I can remember about the dream, he and his two friends wanted to leave their home to see other worlds. They didn't get very far; their island was supposedly destroyed. After that, nothing. It was hard to figure out if it was a dream or not. The only other thing I knew about this guy was his name:

Sora.

All of this thinking was mentally draining me. To make matters worse, I was thinking this over while hanging out with my closest friends: Hayner, Pence, and Olette. We were currently at our Usual Spot, located in the back alleyway of town.

It was always Hayner's idea to have our own secret hideout, and he definitely delivered. The Usual Spot consisted of old, worn out storage items and boxes – a place long forgotten by the world. There was even a yellow heater (doesn't work anymore) located at the end of the room. Air vents on the ceiling served as our only light source. It was our home away from home. Of course, we added our own little touches to it – an old green leather couch that Hayner's dad gave us, and a dartboard. That's about it.

The only thing that kind of annoyed us was the fact that our hideout was near the train station. About every thirty minutes we'd hear the obnoxious pattering of the train's wheels hit the tracks. But it wasn't too bad.

I don't think my friends really minded my silence (since they were talking among themselves). I was considered the _Silent Bob _of the group; the one who sat back and analyzed everything around him. Hayner was our unofficial leader, always bringing us together and coming up with a plan. He was short tempered at times, but was a good guy, and my childhood friend. He had spiky blonde hair; he wore baggy camouflage-print pants; a gray sleeveless vest; and a black muscle shirt that had a skull with crossbones printed on the front.

Pence was the joker of the group – always wise cracking and making us laugh. He was a portly guy that had black hair with a blue band around his forehead; he wore blue jeans, and a red shirt that had the picture of a skeleton dog looking up at some bones. On the side of the shirt, in bolded white letters, it said, "Dog Street."

I don't get the shirt either.

Olette was the only girl in our group. Always looking out for us and always keeping us in check. She did get into arguments with Hayner, but they never got intense or anything. She had long brown hair. She wore an orange tank top with a white floral design at the bottom, and khaki-colored pants.

We've been friends for long time, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Trying to get my mind off of this Sora thing, I shifted my focus to my friend's conversation. Judging from the tones in their voices, though, it wasn't a pleasant one.

"Man, doesn't that tick you off?" Hayner asked.

"Yeah, that's just wrong," Pence agreed.

"If what you say is true, then Seifer's gone too far this time," Olette said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed everyone glancing at me, as if expecting a response. I simply nodded in agreement. Besides, if Seifer was involved, there wasn't much to disagree on. Hayner stood up from the yellow heater and walked across the room.

"I mean, it's true stuff's been stolen around town," Hayner said. "And we're not exactly on Seifer's good list. If Seifer, in his own little world, wants to think we're the thieves, fine. He doesn't think too highly of us, anyway. See…that's not what really bugs me. What REALLY bugs me is that he's goin around tellin' everyone we're the thieves! Now the whole town and their mothers are treating us like the Klepto Club!"

Pence raised an eyebrow. "Now that I think about it, that is a BIG assumption, man. Why would Seifer do that? Do we owe him money or something?"

"No! Seifer will do whatever it takes to publically humiliate us," Hayner explained. "And so far, his plan has been working because I've NEVER been this ticked off in all my life."

Pence leaned over to Olette, and I overheard him whisper, "Seifer's not the only one in his own little world."

"You know how nutty he gets over Seifer," Olette whispered back. "Always pointing fingers at him."

Hayner punched his right fist into his hand. "Now…what to do?"

Olette frowned at Hayner's gesture.

"Based on your body language," Olette said, "I'd say your idea isn't going to be PC."

Hayner smiled innocently. "What? It's just the way I express myself."

Olette looked like she was going to say something, but she stopped seconds later. Instead, her eyes trailed off until they came in contact with mine, almost like she was cueing me to come up with an idea. I thought about it for a moment.

Obviously, with everyone pointing fingers at us, the real culprits were still at large. Even if Seifer wasn't the one falsely accusing us, he wouldn't look for the real culprits because first of all: he hates our guts; why would he help us? Second, it's not Seifer's style. While he did start a Disciplinary Committee to keep our town in order, he believed that his form of justice involved bullying other people. So he would be completely useless.

An idea pinched my brain. "Maybe we could find the real thieves. Wouldn't that set the record straight?"

"Hmm, I guess," Hayner said; he sounded skeptical. "But what about Seifer?"

I stood up from my seat. "Seifer's not our problem right now. Clearing our names IS. Once we find the real culprit, everyone will get off our backs."

A light growl managed to crawl out of Hayner's throat. Something tells me he wasn't thrilled about the idea.

"Sweet! We get to solve a mystery!" Pence stood up with an excited grin. "That sounds like fun."

Olette and I walked over to Hayner, all while noticing Pence stroll over to the corner of the room.

"C'mon, Hayner," Olette said. "You've been looking for some action all summer."

Hayner slightly huffed. "Yeah. But it didn't involve snooping around and playing detective."

"You won't even help us for a Scooby-Snack?" I asked playfully.

Hayner's frown soon turned into a smirk. "That joke's about as old as the alphabet, man."

"Got ya smiling at least."

Just like that, Hayner was happy again. We were all having a good time. But that soon changed…

"Oh, no!" Pence shouted. "They're gone!"

I spun around to see a worried look on Pence's face. In his hands was an old fashioned camera, the kind that developed photos instantly. His mom gave it to him; she said it was important to keep a picture of your friends because one day you may never see them again. Wow, maybe Pence's mom was the deep one.

Pence continued by saying, "Our - are gone!"

For a moment I thought my ears were playing tricks on me. Did he completely leave out a word? I saw his lips form the word, but no sound accompanied it. Unfortunately, it wasn't my hearing, as Pence placed his hand on his throat, surprised and confused.

"All our -, gone?" Hayner asked.

Hayner, too, clutched his hands to his neck. It sounded like one of those censors you'd hear on TV that completely erased an offensive word from the dialogue. It was like someone implanted a censor chip on our voice boxes, preventing us from projecting the word.

Olette gasped. "You can't say -? Why not?"

"Okay, what the HELL is going on?" Hayne asked.

A feeling of panic filled the atmosphere, judging from everyone's looks. Pence was especially worried.

"I don't know, but it's freaking me out," Pence said nervously. "What kind of supernatural magic's at work here? First our -, then the word -?"

Pence paused before asking, "You guys do know what I'm trying to say, right?"

"Yeah." Olette said.

"Wait a minute." A thought crossed my mind. "There has to be a connection! Maybe this thief stole both the item and the word."

Hayner looked at me like I was crazy. "What kinda thief is that?"

"One that's not of this world," Olette said, "that's for sure."

Pence started to pace around the room. I couldn't blame him. If some unseen force magically removed a word from your voice box, you'd worry too.

"Man, this is sounding more and more like a bad plot to a video game," Pence said. "I can't take this."

"What if this guy starts picking off other words?" Olette asked.

Hayner raised his voice. "Calm down, guys! This problem isn't going to go away the more we talk about it!"

Everyone took a few moments to catch their breath. The tense feeling in the air was soon cleared by relaxtion.

"Okay, that's better," Hayner said with an easy tone in his voice. "I think this calls for some serious recon. Let's go!"

We started walking towards the fenced door. I was right behind everyone.

I didn't get very far.

Something was wrong. The room started spinning; every fiber in my body shook from a sudden feeling of weakness. Fighting it was pointless. The dizziness was overwhelmingly strong. I soon blacked out; I couldn't even feel myself hit the ground.

It was hard to determine how long I was unconscious for. A sense of time does not exist in the sleeping mind. During those few moments, however, I heard a voice. It sounded like an elderly man with a gruff British accent. His voice was accompanied by an echo.

"_His heart is returning. Doubtless he'll awaken soon."_

Not too long after, feeling started returning to me. I felt my cheek resting against the hard floor. My eyes opened, and I slowly got to my feet, grunting all the way. What's going on? Who was that? A quick glance around the room showed that nobody else was there. It had to be in my head.

His heart is returning? As in my heart? So many questions.

"Roxas, are you okay?"

I spun around to see a concerned Olette standing in the doorway.

"I'm fine," I replied.

"You sure?"

"It's nothing. I just tripped."

Olette gave me a look of disbelief. Personally, I didn't want my problems to become my friends' problem. It's always been my philosophy on life (at fifteen years old; go figure). Why let other people suffer for your suffering? That's why I usually kept my thoughts to myself.

Besides, what was I going to say here? Der, I fainted and heard voices in my head. Yeah, that doesn't sound crazy at all, right?

"Listen, I'm fine. Didn't look where I was going. Happens to all of us."

"Alright. I'll take your word for it. I just know how secretive you get."

"I promise. No secrets."

"Then let's catch up with the others," Olette said.

Even though I kept my thoughts to myself, I never had a problem admitting to have such great friends – ones who would always look out for you. I hoped it would always be like that.

* * *

><p>Twilight Town was like a Christmas tree; many of the signs and billboards were lit up with bright neon lights. The buildings had a mixture of red and yellow coating. Even the pavement was a reddish color that matched the twilit sky. Twilight Town was a busy town, with crowds of people flowing through its arteries. For some reason, the colors of the buildings made everything feel tranquil. Calming at moments. Maybe it had to do with the warm colors, but I felt safe walking through here. It's like I know nothing bad is going to happen.<p>

Market Street was the heart of Twilight Town. In fact, it should be a whale's heart, because the Market Street was so big that it needed to be divided into two sections: Station Heights and Tram Common. We arrived at Station Heights, following its long, steeply-sloped road. A few stores were scattered throughout the area. The four of us stopped when we reached the bottom of the slope, and we regrouped.

"Let's get this investigation underway," Pence said.

Hayner crossed his arms, once again looking irritated.

"Where exactly do we start looking?" Hayner asked. "We don't have any leads. How do you hunt for someone that stole a word?"

"Look for anything that's odd or strange?" Olette suggested.

"Well, considering we have talking animals and weird people with yellow eyes and strange haircuts running around Twilight Town, this should be a cakewalk," Hayner said sarcastically. "Nothing out of the ordinary here."

Our conversation was interrupted by the gentle sounds of guitar strings. We looked over towards a rail located in the middle of the street, and saw K.K. Slider, sitting there, playing away on his old fashioned guitar.

K.K. was our good friend. He was the stereotypical guitar player that refused to sell his music to a major corporation. To him, entertaining the public with his music was all he needed for payment. My friends and I would always meet up with him, requesting one of his famous songs for him to play. He had many fans, but I think we were always his number one fans. He always enjoyed our company. But there was one thing that set him apart from other independent musicians:

He was a dog. Try wrapping your heads around that one.

K.K. stopped playing his music, looked up and saw us.

"If it isn't my favorite audience members," he said in his laid back voice. "How're you doing?"

We walked over to where K.K. was sitting.

"Sorry, K.K.," Hayner said. "We don't have time for a song today."

"We're on the hunt for some thieves who stole the -," Pence said. He sighed. "I'm never going to get used to do that."

"Thieves, huh?" K.K. tapped his paw on his chin. "This dog has been playin' all over Twilight Town today, and these high pitched ears have been hearing some rumors about thieves."

He glanced at me with a guilty look in his eyes.

"They say that you're the one stealing the -,"

Getting reminded of a crime you didn't commit was heartbreaking. Just hearing those words made you feel alone. All of the trust you've built up with people you know was taken away in seconds – over something that wasn't your fault to begin with! So while the thief is roaming free, you're stuck there taking the verbal abuse that was meant for him.

"I didn't do it!"

"Chill out," K.K. said. "I know. The problem with most folks these days is their one track minds. They simply refuse to look at the other side of things. They forget to understand what the person is feeling on the inside. It's just point fingers and move on. No one takes the moment to stop and listen."

I could hear Hayner whisper to Pence, "He's starting to get preachy again."

I chuckled. "I think I get the point, K.K.. I'm just glad you're on our side."

"Of course, my man. I'm able to look inside the person's eyes. And I see an honest kid inside yours."

There was a sense of relief within our group. It was good to know we had one friend who believed us. Sure, K.K. was a bit too nice and idealistic, but sometimes a good friend was all you needed to raise your spirits. K.K. leaped off of the rail.

"I gotta be moseying along now. This dog can't keep his musical soul grounded to one area. Don't be a stranger. I'm here to help if you need me."

"Thanks," Pence said.

With that said, K.K. walked off towards the train station.

Olette asked with a dreamy look in her eyes, "Isn't K.K. so sweet?"

"Whatever," Hayner said with an annoyed sigh. "He wasn't much help."

"At least he's on our side!" Olette said. "You're getting grouchy again!"

"Because we're wasting time here!"

"Seattle down, guys," Pence said. "Obviously we're wired up over this whole thing. Let's head to Tram Common and talk to some more people. If we're lucky – and this is a big if – someone else will be supportive, and maybe they'll have a clue."

I nodded in agreement. Without any other arguments, we hurried towards the Tram Common.

* * *

><p>The Tram Common was the huge open market area of Twilight Town. There were plenty of shops to visit around here. A small tram made its rounds through this area, picking up and dropping off senior citizens, or anyone else who needed a break from walking. We arrived and looked around to see a decent number of people here. I got this feeling that half of the people were giving us the cold shoulder whenever they laid their eyes on us. So much for Pence's encouraging words of finding support, I thought.<p>

After a brief discussion, we decided to talk to the owner of the clothing store, Biggs, since I knew him pretty well. We walked to the store, and saw that he wasn't busy at all. However, as we approached him, I noticed him scowling at me.

Joy. This investigation was off to a good start…

Before I could open my mouth, Biggs said, "Yo, Roxas. Never thought you'd do such a rotten thing…

"C'mon, man. I didn't steal anything, all right?"

"Besides, do you have any proof that he did it?" Pence asked. "Where's the trace evidence?"

"Pence, do you even know what 'trace evidence' means?" Olette asked.

"Don't try to play innocent," Biggs said. "You just happened to be around someone when the stuff was stolen. And given what was stolen, it makes sense."

"What 'stuff' did I steal?"

Biggs scoffed. "As if you didn't know. Hey, I'm not telling you. Go ask Baking Mama."

I turned to my friends. "Guess we have no other choice. Let's go."

I noticed Pence and Hayner giving each other nervous looks.

"If it's all the same," Hayner said, "we'll stick this one out."

Olette upsettingly crossed her arms.

"What, you're still afraid of Baking Mama?" Olette asked.

"Afraid is too strong of a word," Pence said. "Being totally freaked out by her overly enthusiastic presence is a much better way of saying it."

"Oh, c'mon," I said. "She's really nice. I get baked goods from her all the time."

"Haven't you ever of the saying 'Never judge a book by its cover?'" Olette asked.

"Yes, and when I see manic descriptions in the book, I still judge," Pence said. "Didn't you hear all the rumors about her? Like how she makes babies race each other? Or how she doesn't wait for you to pat rice, and will smack your hand with a hammer?"

I sighed, having completely given up on them. "Do what you want, guys. I'm going to ask her."

"Oh, we'll come," Hayner said. "Just don't expect us to go up there with you."

Baking Mama's – for lack of a better word – bakery was world renown. Just the mentioning of her baked goods alone would cause you to drool. Her cakes, muffins, and breads had no equal; they were the best in town. Like K.K., Mama had a good heart; I knew she would be able to sympathize with us, though I did see why she freaked Hayner and Pence out. She was overly enthusiastic about her work, and I think sometimes people who are way too happy and passionate about something can be a little off putting. But I didn't see anything wrong with it.

We approached the bakery. Already we could smell muffins cooking in a hot oven. Thankfully the bakery wasn't busy either. I walked up to see Mama working in the kitchen, wearing her yellow apron and pink bandana. There was an assortment of baked goods on the front shelf: cakes, chocolate chip cookies, sandwich rolls – any sort of baked goods you can think of.

"Excuse me."

Mama looked over her shoulder and stared right at me with her oval shaped eyes.

"Hello, Roxas," she said in her heavy Japanese accent. "Have you seen Mama's gloves?"

I scanned her candy coated bakery and saw them by the sink.

"Right there."

Mama found her gloves and pulled out a batch of chocolate chip muffins. I was ready to give up the mystery and just have some. After placing them down to cool, she came over to me with an appreciative smile.

"Thank you, Roxas," Mama said. "I know that such a nice boy wouldn't steal anything."

"Thanks for that, ma'am" I said. "We're going to find the real thieves. Did they steal anything from you, too?"

"Oh yes," she said sadly. "My -. My vonderful -."

That wasn't much help.

"Don't worry. We'll find them."

I noticed a fiery look in her eyes. Her passion was burning long and brightly.

"I know you will! Mama has confidence!"

"See! That look she's giving you is what I'm talking about!" Hayner shouted.

"Hayner!" Olette said.

"Um, ignore him, ma'am," I said. "We gotta get going. Bye."

"See you around, Roxas. You always welcomed at Mama's place."

We sat on the bridge located on the other side of Tram Common, planning our next move. Hayner rested his chin on his hand.

"Well so far this mystery has been anything but progressive," Hayner said. "All we know about the thief is that he stole the -, along with the word. I'm about ready to throw in the towel and do the only sensible thing."

"Confront Seifer?" Olette asked. "What's sensible about that?"

"Hey, it's all I have to fall back on."

Suddenly, Pence stood up with an excited look on his face.

"I got it! Stroke of genius, you never fail me!"

"What?" I asked.

Pence got his camera out. "All we have to do is go around and snap a few pictures! Then we can use them as bait!"

We all stood up, basking in the excitement with him.

"Pence, you're a genius!" Hayner said. "I'd kiss you, but I'm not that kinda guy!"

"Whatdaya say we get this show on the road, then?" Pence said.

Pence started to get his camera ready – when someone snatched it out of his hands. We all turned to see Rai and Fuu, two of Seifer's followers. Rai was a tall meathead with big muscles, tan skin, and black hair. He wore an orange tank top and baggy pants. Fuu was a girl who had long purple hair; the fringes covered her left eye. She wore a blue sleeveless jacket and Capri pants.

As Seifer's followers, they clutched onto his every word and belief. They were more than happy to carry out Seifer's tasks. They practically worshipped the guy.

"Well, well, lookie what we have here," Rai said. "I see someone likes to play with trash, y'know?"

Fuu looked at the camera. "Rubbish."

Pence tried to grab the camera from Rai, but like a typical bully, he stretched his big arm all the way up, preventing Pence from reaching it.

"The only trash around here is in your shoes!" Pence said. "Give it back!"

"Oh, I'm so scared of a bunch of punks, y'know?"

Hayner charged for Rai. "Hang on, Pence!"

"Go long, Fuu!"

Rai threw the camera to Fuu, who grabbed it and held it over the edge of the bridge, holding onto the strap.

"Decease!" Fuu said.

Everyone stopped to see the camera dangling for its life. Pence's face started to become pale with dread.

"Y-you wouldn't!"

Fuu grinned. "Tempted."

"Cut it out, you two!" Olette said. "Pence's mom gave him that camera! Can't you go bother someone else?"

"We're more than happy to give it back, y'know?" Rai said. "Under one condition."

Hayner cracked his knuckles. I could tell he was ready for some action.

"Then spit it out!" Hayner said.

"Seifer would like to have a word with ya. What you did was low. Seifer's going to set you straight. He is the true iron hand of justice in this town, ya know?"

"And is also the true peanut brain of intelligence," Hayner said.

Fuu started to lower the camera. Pence was now on the verge of panicking.

"Hayner, please!" he cried.

Hayner sighed. "Alright. Fine. Let's go."

"I knew you'd see things my way, y'know."

Our investigation was put on hold. I shook my head. I was hoping we could avoid Seifer and his gang, but somehow, someway you're always drawn back towards those you hold a grudge towards. We quietly followed Fuu and Rai to the Sandlot (yeah, I wish I was watching that movie right now instead of seeing Seifer), wondering what their so called leader had in store for us.


	3. Chapter 2

**Day 1**

**Chapter 2: The Mystery gets Complicated **

The Sandlot was where the major festivals and sporting events were held. It was a wide open space with plenty of bleachers, and a board where tournament brackets and scores were posted. We saw Seifer in the middle of the area, training the newest member of their gang: Vivi. Vivi has always been a mystery to everyone. No one knows where he came from or what kind of person he is. He looked like a wizard of some kind, wearing a giant tan hat and sporting a baby clue coat. His mouth was concealed by his jacket, and I could only make out his pitch dark skin and yellow eyes.

Seifer was like if the worst fashion trends of the 90's puked onto Eminem. He wore a black stocking hat, a blue vest underneath his white coat, and wore baggy pants. Like Rai, he was well built. Just looking at Seifer gave you the impression that, "If you look at me funny, I'm going to punch you in the face." He viewed us as trouble makers. Why? I don't know. Because we hang out behind an ally? Either way, the feeling with him was mutual. We didn't like him for the bad attitude he had with everyone.

Seifer and Vivi were both sparring with blue foam swords. The poor little guy could barely block Seifer's attacks. He was so timid. How did he end up in Seifer's gang? Peer pressure? Wouldn't surprise me.

"You have to actually BLOCK, squirt!" Seifer said. "Try harder! You do want to become a real man, right?"

"Ye-ye-yes, sir," Vivi said. "I just need more practice."

"More practice?" Seifer yelled. "We've been at it for two weeks now! A little wuss like you will never get it! You'll never be like our previous member!"

Vivi sadly looked down. He did not want to look at Seifer's face anymore. His eyes trailed off until they saw us approaching. He jumped in surprise and pointed at us. Seifer turned around, and smirked upon seeing us. He told Vivi to take a break, and Vivi nodded, placed his sword on the floor, and stood next to Seifer. Fuu (who still had the camera) and Rai joined up with Seifer.

"Good work," Seifer said. "I see the gang's all here. Now I can personally deal with you myself."

"Oh yeah?" Hayner asked in a threatening tone.

Seifer snickered. "Wow. Such a good comeback, blondie."

"Shut up!" Hayner hissed.

"And there's another one," Seifer said. "Wanna make it three for three?"

Olette intervened before a fight broke out. "What do you want, Seifer? We're kind of busy."

"Don't play dumb," Seifer said. "We know full well that you stole the -. Why don't you make things easy and hand them over?"

"Yeah! You're the only ones who would take it, y'know?"

"That's ridiculous!" Pence said. "There's no evidence!"

"I don't need evidence," Seifer said. "Just from looking at you I can see a bunch of liars. This time we're going to totally own you lamers."

"And you made fun of my comebacks," Hayner said. "Did you think of that yourself, or did Rai help you?"

Rai, offended, made a fist. "That's hitting it below the belt, y'know!"

"Cool it," Seifer said to Rai. He turned to us. "Nothing you dweebs say will ruin my mood. I got you right where I want you. So what did you do with them? Hide 'em in your secret club house? Ha, not that we need some - to proof that you're losers."

"Replay," Fuu said.

Seifer laughed. "Now you're talking!"

Seifer pointed his sword right at us. Fuu and Rai also got ready to fight. We got on the defense, already expecting the worst.

"I guess if you get on your knees and beg, MAYBE I'll let it slide," Seifer said.

There's was only one way to handle this situation. I stepped forward, staring right into their eyes. I tried not to show them fear; it would only fuel their egos further. They only responded to me with laughs, and I got onto my hands and knees like a dog wanting a treat. I could hear Hayner shouting my name, angry that I would submit to Seifer.

But I wasn't.

I noticed Vivi's sparring weapon right nearby. This was my only shot. I quickly grabbed the bat and swung at Seifer, who brought his blade up to block.

"Looks like I got a live one, guys," Seifer said in a mocking tone. "You'll have to be a little less predictable, goldilocks!"

Seifer pushed me back, and he swung his blade to counter. I held the handle with both hands, with the blade facing downward, and brought it up to block. Upon releasing our grip, I swung straight down, only for him to side step and let me go by him. Seifer's gang moved out of the way as I ran towards them. I spun around to see Seifer holding the blade over his head. I got into my fighting stance. If fighting Seifer was our only chance to get away from them, I'd take the risk!

I heard Hayner shout, "Roxas, focus!"

"That's right," Seifer said. "Focus on losing! It'll make things easier."

I've heard enough from Seifer! It was time to settle this. I ran right for Seifer and tried to bring the blade down, but he blocked all of my attacks. After making one more attempt, he swung at my head, but I ducked. I quickly leaned back to avoid him swinging at my head. I tried to thrust, but Seifer knocked the blade out of my hand. Seifer tried to attack, but I rolled out of the way to avoid it. I leaped onto my stomach and grabbed my blade. When I rolled onto my back, I blocked Seifer's next attack. He brought his blade down, but I spun out of the way, and quickly got onto my feet.

Both of us circled around the area; I was trying to figure out who would make the next move.

"What are you so afraid of?" Seifer asked. "Don't tell me you're giving up already."

"Dream on!" I said.

"Hang in there, man!" Pence said.

I ran at Seifer and swung down vertically, only for him to move right to avoid it. Seifer tried to swing his blade in, but I swung mine across to block. We both swung the opposite way at each other. Next, I tried to trip him by swinging at his right foot, but he lifted it up before I could reach. Our blades collided; we were in a heated lock.

"Not bad, chickenwuss." Seifer grabbed my wrist and pushed our blade lock towards the ground. "But you're still nothing more than a loser who can't fight."

Seifer used his body weight to push me back. Before I got a chance to recover, he swung the sword at my shoulder. I winced; that was a hard hit. I walked backwards while Seifer gloated. I couldn't stand that look on his face. It only fueled my desire to beat him.

"Ready to give up?"

"Fat chance!" I said.

"Too bad. You won't have a choice."

Seifer tried to swing again, but this time I was ready. I ducked underneath him and rammed my sword into his stomach. I ran behind him, spun around and smacked him in the back. Seifer staggered forward from the hit. I quickly ran at him as he turned around. Before he got a chance to do anything, I swung right across his chest, knocking him back. At this point I was starting to pant; Seifer was not easy. But staying focused was my main concern. Seifer was also starting to grow tried. I could see him leaning over to catch his breath.

"A lucky hit," Seifer said. "Don't let it go to your head."

"Let's see if this next hit is luck!"

I prepared to attack again when I suddenly felt my leg run into something; I ended up falling onto my stomach. I winced as I felt the pain from hitting the hard pavement.

I heard Olette say, "That's not fair!"

"Who said these jerks play fair?" Pence pointed out.

As I started to lift my back, it was instantly pushed back down by a foot. I heard Rai laughing at me. I put two and two together: he tripped me. The more I struggled to get up, the more annoyed I was getting.

"Let me go, Rai! You cheated!" I said

"Anything to help Seifer, y'know? Hey, Seifer! How about one for the album, y'know?"

I looked up to see Seifer grinning. "Sure thing. Hold him down."

I continued to struggle until I felt one foot get replaced by another. How could this day get any worse? I was soon going to regret even conceiving that idea. I looked up to see Fuu holding Pence's camera. I saw the flash from the camera, but what followed was entirely bizarre. Some strange white creature flew around Fuu and grabbed the camera. I saw it head off towards the right (I'm guessing it was heading towards the Tram Common).

"What the heck was that?" Seifer asked. "Quick, after it! No one gets away with stealing in my town!"

Seifer released his foot, and he and his gang ran off towards the Tram Common. I noticed my friends staring oddly at the direction where that "thing" went.

"Think that was the thief?" Olette asked.

"Only one way to find out!" Hayner said. "C'mon!"

And my three best friends started to run off without me. I grunted as I started to stand up.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking!" I said sarcastically.

"No time, Roxas!" Pence called to me. "We can't let it get away! It has my camera!"

I got to my feet and hurried after everyone.

* * *

><p>When I arrived at the Tram Common, I had no idea where everyone was. However, I did see the thief. I could barely make out what it looked like. It swerved and spun around so fast. All I could notice was its white skin and sharp claws.<p>

"You're not getting away!"

I chased the thief towards a triangle shaped hole in one of the walls. Beyond the wall was a forest that connected to an Old Mansion. The mansion had been abandoned for many years. In school I learned that the mansion used to house some of the wealthiest people in Twilight Town. Even former mayors lived there. However, as Twilight Town's buildings started to modernize, the mansion was left behind to wither away. Nowadays you get the typical stories that the mansion is haunted and whatnot.

I never thought much of it. Just a piece of history now. Nothing more. I chased the thief into the forest and up to the mansion. Surprisingly, as we arrived at the gates to the mansion – which was locked by a huge keyhole – the creature stopped and turned to face me. I figured this thing was capable of climbing over the gate; it was up to something. I came to a halt. Tackling this thing would not be a smart move. Who knows what some otherworldly "thing" could do. Best to let it make the first move.

For a few moments, we both remained perfectly still. I still had Vivi's sword in my hand as the only defense. The creature was taller than me by a few inches. Very thin, but somewhat muscular. It didn't have eyes or a nose. Just a closed mouth. But I could tell it was looking at me, wondering what to do.

Finally, I said, "You've caused enough trouble! Just hand over the -, or else!"

I think it replied. Somehow the words sounded telepathic.

"_We have come for you, my liege."_

I was startled. "Huh?"

Like a jacket opening up, a zipper went across its mouth. When the mouth opened up, it let out a silent cry. The creature lunged right at me. I was barely able to dodge the thing; it practically had superhuman speed. I tried to counter with my sword, but it swiveled behind me and wrapped its long arms around my chest, locking me in a bear hug. I struggled to break free, but the grip was too strong.

"Hey, let go!"

A dark portal of some kind appeared in front of me. Not good! Thinking fast, I jerked my head up, right into its jaw. That seemed to work, as I felt the creature move its neck back to react. I pushed my elbows up to release its grip, turned around and swung my sword – only it went right through the creature! What is this thing, I thought. The creature attempted to grab me again, but I kicked it away. I tried to hit it again, but my sword kept going through the creature like I was fighting a hologram.

Eventually it blocked one of my attacks with its right arm, knocked the sword out of my hand with its left, and then rammed its head into my chest, knocking me over. I got to my feet and backed away as the creature slowly approached me.

"It's no use."

I didn't know what else to do. My attacks were completely useless against it. Even hits I landed barely seem to have an effect.

There was only one thing to do: "Help! Anybody, please!"

But there was no one around for miles. I doubt Hayner and the others were nearby the mansion. I didn't want it to end like this. My family, my friends – I would never see them again. Is that how all people felt before they were killed?

All of a sudden, I felt a tingling feeling in my right hand. It was something I couldn't describe. It was like something was coming to my hand. Then, my hand got engulfed in what looked like the ones and zeros you'd see on a computer monitor. A thin white glow took the place of my hand, and when the light faded, I couldn't believe my eyes as to what I saw.

It was a giant…key sword. You know the ridiculous weapons you see heroes carry in animes? Try imagining that taken up to eleven. Before I could react, the key pulled me slightly forward, pointing right at the creature, which stopped right where it was.

"What…what is this thing?"

The creature lunged at me again. Ask questions later, idiot! Your life is at stake. You won't lose sleep over one strange incident. I put the key up to block the creature's claws. Using all of my strength, I pushed the creature back. I quickly ran at the creature and just managed to stab its chest. The creature clutched its chest, obviously hurt from the attack. I smirked; now we're getting somewhere. I tried to attack the creature again, but it leaped onto the wall. I don't know what compelled me to do this, but I threw the key at it like a boomerang. How I could throw such a huge key with such ease was beyond me!

The creature leaped over it and started to fall right towards me. Before I could do anything, the giant key somehow returned to my hand, so I put it up to block. The creature jumped off the key and curled into a ball in the air. Then it started falling. Quickly, I swung the key like a bat and knocked it into a wall. I tried to attack again, but it leaped to avoid my slash. I turned left to see the creature coming right at me. When I attempted to dodge the attack, something bizarre (given everything that's happened, that's saying a lot) happened: I slid on the ground and completely rotated around the creature until I was facing its back. Again, ask questions later. I lifted the key over my head and brought it down with all my might, slashing right through the creature.

The creature stumbled backwards from the hit. I waited to see what was going to happen; it stood there, completely frozen. Finally, it shook violently and exploded into a sliver light. Like confetti, the missing pictures popped out.

I stood there, tired and at a loss for words. What else was there to say? When something that weird happens, you have to sit there and wonder if the sun was playing with your head. And to top everything off, the giant key vanished in the same fashion it appeared (apparently it went back to the _Matrix_ or something). I gathered up everything and headed back to the Usual Spot, wondering how I was going to explain this to the gang.

* * *

><p>When I got back to the spot, I could tell everyone was relieved to see me. Olette ran up and gave me a hug.<p>

"Roxas, I'm so glad you're okay!"

I smiled. "Thanks, Olette."

"Yeah, you had us worried, man," Hayner said. "We were ready to get a search party together. Guess you CAN handle things without us."

I grinned as I pulled away from Olette. "Oh, thanks for putting your faith in me, man!"

"Anytime, bud," Hayner said. "But, hey, sorry we ditched you back there."

"Don't worry about it," I said. "Besides, look what I found."

I pulled out Pence's camera. Pence snatched it out of my hands, overjoyed to see it.

"My camera!" Pence cheered. "Thanks, Roxas! I owe you big for this!"

"And that's not all." I went through my pockets and pulled out the pictures.

We all hovered around to look at the evidence. The first picture we saw was me standing next to Biggs at his shop.

"What's this?" Hayner asked.

"I was his first customer," I said.

"It's a really nice photo." Olette gasped and put her hand on her chest. "Oh!"

"Hey, you said 'photo!'" Pence said. "Guess things are back to normal."

"Not quite," Hayner said. "Roxas, were you able to get a good look at the picture thief?"

At first I didn't know how to answer. I couldn't simply tell them that I was attacked by some strange zipper monster, and then I killed it with a giant key. Yeah, only a crazy person would believe that story.

"No. I just found them lying there."

Hayner frowned. "Then how do we prove we weren't the ones who took 'em?"

I shrugged. He was right. We had no proof now, especially since the culprit was scattered throughout the mansion's entryway.

"Maybe we should just return the photos," Olette said. "At least we could try to rebuild the public's trust with us."

Hayner growled. I could tell this wasn't the closure he wanted. But soon he sighed. I think he knew Olette's idea was our only option. Hayner took the photos from me and looked at the next picture. I was standing outside the drug store with the owner: Jessie.

"IT'S a girl," Hayner said in a teasing tone.

"You look happy, Roxas," Olette said.

"Do not."

Pence asked if he could look through the pictures. After observing them, he started thinking about something.

"So, like, anybody else notice that all of the stolen pictures are of Roxas?" Pence asked.

You know what? I didn't think about that.

"Ohh!" Olette said. "So that's why everyone thought it was us."

"You mean Seifer didn't go around accusing us after all?" Hayner asked. He sounded slightly disappointed by this.

"Seifer never did," Pence said.

"He would've!" Hayner said. "And you know it!"

"No way!" Pence said. "What reason would he have?"

"Any reason!"

I intervened. "Save it for divorce court, guys! Pence, are they really all of me?"

"Yep."

Pence showed me the photos. One had me standing with Baking Mama. The next featured Seifer putting his foot on top of my back, pretending he got a victory over me. I quickly snatched that photo from Pence and placed in my pocket, hoping to dispose of it later. The last one had all four of us standing in front of the mansion.

"Right? Every single one," Pence said. He rubbed his chin. "Wouldn't it be weird if the thief wanted to steal the real Roxas or something?"

Hayner snickered. "C'mon, get serious. Why would anyone want to steal a bonehead like Roxas?"

"Oh, thanks," I said.

Our day began in silence, but ended in laughter. We were having a great time. Despite the troubles you face in life, it was always good to know that you had people to laugh them away with. As our laughter died down, we heard the train go by. It was starting to get late. We decided to make our rounds and return the photos to everyone. Hopefully they wouldn't hold a grudge against us, especially the people I'm friends with.

We decided to head off in separate directions, and we would call each tonight to see how it went. After saying good-bye to everyone, I headed towards the Tram Common. As I started walking, my eyes came in contact with the descending sun, and I shielded them with my arm.

Then, darkness.

I had no idea what was happening now. But I was suddenly startled by a voice.

"Where…am I?" the voice asked.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"Who are you?"

RESTORATION AT 6%

* * *

><p>In a computer room, that's only source of illumination came from brightly lit monitors, an old man sat at a giant computer with multiple screens. The man concealed his facial features with red bandages; only his eyes and mouth were visible. He wore a long red cape and had strange markings on the front of his garments. He was alone; only the whirring sounds of the machines kept him company. The man, known simply as DIZ, tapped his fingers on his desk, almost like he was looking for some way to channel his frustrations and fears.<p>

The whirring sounds were soon overlapped by footsteps approaching the enigma. DIZ never took his eyes off the screen as a man wearing a black coat walked up to him. The cloaked figure remained quiet for a moment. He had no idea what DIZ was thinking; never did. Finally, the gruff British accent of DIZ's voice broke the silence.

"Organization miscreants," DIZ said. "They found us."

"But…why would the Nobodies steal photographs?"

"Both are nothing but data to them. The fools could never tell the difference." DIZ glanced at one of the monitors. "We are running out of time. Namine must make haste."

The monitor DIZ was looking at contained an image outline of, what appeared to be, a teenage boy with spiky hair….


	4. Chapter 3

**Day 2**

**Chapter 3: Adventures in Moneymaking **

Static once again filled the darkness. As the screen started to focus, the image of an unconscious Sora could be seen. His back was rested against a building, which was located on an airport. A strange looking man wearing overalls and a hat approached the boy. The man's entire body looked like it was made of liquid. After laughing, the main painted on Sora's face. Sora woke up from the strange substance planted on his face, screamed, and jumped into the water.

The static transitioned to Sora jumping out of the water, and he looked around the strange place.

"Where am I?"

Another flash; Sora was now running around a huge tropical island. At one point, Sora saw a group of little dark creatures and summoned a key shaped weapon.

"What happened to my home? My island? Riku! Kai—"

The screen briefly flashed to the red haired girl looking at the screen; the backdrop was pure white. Another static flash showed Sora confronting a man who wore a black leather jacket, and he had long brown hair.

"If you're not careful, they'll come after you," the man said.

"Wh-who are you?"

"And they'll keep on coming after you," the man continued. "For as long you continue to wield that keyblade."

Zeros and ones flashed on screen; the scene changed to a strange dinosaur creature and a man who had a huge black moustache, wore blue overalls, and a green shirt and cap, land on top of Sora. They were at an amusement park. Another flash showed Sora talking with the two that fell on him. The man with brown hair was also there. Standing next to him was a young woman with short black hair. She wore a metal headband with two green tassels.

"Hey, why don't you come with Luigi and Yoshi?" The dinosaur said with a childish voice. "We could travel to other worlds in our big airplane."

"Sora, you should go with them," the man with brown hair said. "Especially if you want to find your friends."

Another flash of static, and the scene shifted to the dinosaur, the man with the moustache, and Sora extending their hands to each other.

"I'm-a-Luigi."

"I Yoshi."

"And I'm Sora."

The three put their hands on top of each other.

"I'll go with you, guys!" Sora said.

The scene cuts to Sora, the brown haired man, and the black haired woman in a hotel room. Sora was sitting on the bed, glancing at the giant key on his lap.

"The heartless fear the keyblade," the brown haired man said. "It is the only thing that can defeat them."

The scene transitioned to a woman with brown hair; she wore a pink dress and was sitting on another bed.

"It is called the keyblade," the woman said.

The scene flashed to Sora holding his key up, looking at it in wonderment.

"So this is the key?" Sora asked.

The same static shot of the red haired girl was shown, and then the scene switched to Sora shooting a magic beam out of the keyblade's tip, sealing a giant keyhole. A dark, menacing voice could be heard.

"But that meddling child with the key is another story; he also found one of the keyholes. If he keeps finding them-"

Everything went white.

* * *

><p>I sat up immediately as I came out of my dream. I looked at my hand. Nothing there. Maybe it was just me, but I could've sworn I felt my hand tingling. It was like my hand remembered the strange object it held. Just when I thought the weirdness was over, my dreams find some way to bring it to a whole new level. Who were all those people? Still didn't answer my main question: why do I keep dreaming about this Sora kid?<p>

There was one question sort of answered – the name of the key shaped weapon.

"A key…blade?" I murmured.

* * *

><p>As I strolled to the Usual Spot, I couldn't stop thinking about the dreams. Was it okay for recurring dreams to go on for this long? Also, was it odd that I remembered every single detail about them? What if there was a higher power at work? These dreams have to be based on real events, because I somehow managed to pull one of the objects out of my head, and used it to fight off a white creature<p>

"A keyblade…."

I needed to take my mind off of this before my sanity drowned in a pool of thoughts. I picked up a stick and swung it around for a few moments, remembering a great fight I had yesterday with Seifer. That is, until Rai decided to pull a fast one on me. I took a deep breath, feeling better, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the strangeness had only begun.

"What was that about?"

I carelessly threw the stick away, and it hit a man wearing a gray cloak. I flinched upon realizing what I did.

"Oh! Sorry about that, sir."

The man said nothing and walked down the stairs towards Tram Common. I guess he didn't care. Shrugging, I headed towards the Usual Spot; as I did, a thought crossed my mind: why would someone wear a cloak on a hot summer day?

* * *

><p>When I got inside the Usual Spot, I saw my friends eating sea salt ice cream, a summer tradition of ours. Whenever we wanted to relax, and not suffer the wrath of the heat, we'd cool down with a sea salt ice cream. Salty on the outside, but inside was a cool, creamy center that was irresistible.<p>

"Hey, man," Hayner said.

He pulled out another ice cream and handed it to me.

"Think of it as a celebratory ice cream party for getting the public's trust back," Hayner said.

"Cool. Thanks."

As I went to sit down on a box, I heard Pence say something…interesting.

"Do you guys think we'll always be together like this?"

"Sure hope so," Olette said.

Hayner then asked the same question that was on my mind: "Huh? Where did that come from?"

"Oh, you know, just thinking out loud," Pence said.

Hayner stood up. "You're absolutely right, Pence."

Hayner walked over to Pence and put his arm around him.

"I just couldn't picture my life without you," Hayner said in a playful tone. "Why, who would I eat ice cream with?"

Hayner started laughing. Pence didn't find it funny.

"Cut it out, knucklehead. I'm serious!"

"Alright, take it easy, man." Hayner went back to his seat. "Look, I don't know what to expect. I'm no expert on giving life lessons. Who knows what will happen when we grow up. Maybe we'll still live together. Maybe we'll move away from each other. It's stuff we shouldn't think about now. What's important, I think, is not how often we see each other, but how often we think about each other. Right?"

Pence grinned. "Get that off a fortune cookie?"

"Oh, so I can't make a crack, but when I say something serious, the one liners just come sliding out of your mouth?" Hayner asked; he was smiling. "That's it, no more ice cream for you."

We all laughed. Hayner was right. Why bother thinking about something like that? We were still in high school. Not even seniors yet. Thinking about the adult world should be the least of my concerns; we'll worry about that road when it comes. If there's one thing K.K. always said, it was to never look too far ahead. Take it one step at a time.

We resumed eating our ice cream in silence.

"Man, today's turning out to be a drag," Hayner said.

"Probably because of what happened yesterday," Olette said.

"Nuh-uh. You know what it is?" Hayner said. "We don't want summer vacation to end. That's all!"

I noticed Pence shrugging at Olette. I had the feeling that Hayner was about to come up with an idea on how to spice things up.

"So, how about this?" Hayner asked. "Let's all go to the beach. And why do we go to the beach?"

Pence grinned. "So our tans can catch up with Snooki's?"

"Very funny, wiseguy," Hayner said while rolling his eyes. He stood up. "We haven't gone to the beach all summer. Instead we've been cooped up in a back alleyway eating ice cream. Think about it: blue seas, blue skies. A nice change of pace is just what we need. Let's hop on a train and go."

We responded with silence.

"No?" Hayner asked in surprise. He whined. "Aw, c'mon."

I stood up. "Maybe you forgot, but we're broke. Not even our parents would put down the money for it. It's too pricey around this time."

Hayner smirked. "Maybe you forgot I'm smart. We won't even need our parents. Meet me at Market Street."

With that said, Hayner left for Market Street. We all shrugged and hurried after him. Hayner often got us involved in his crazy schemes. There was one time he came up with an idea to open our own skate park, consisting of nothing but lumber, the neighbors' trashcans, old shopping carts, and hula hoops. That business ended with broken bones, broken spirits, and possible lawsuits. So we were hesitant about going along with his ideas. But, to be fair, we haven't heard his idea yet. Maybe this time it won't be so bad.

* * *

><p>We arrived at Market Street. I scanned the area for any signs of Hayner. Pence then pointed Hayner out in the corner, reading a poster on the wall. We ran over to see what the poster said. I couldn't help but smile at what I saw. It was a poster promoting the annual Struggle Competition. This was like our Super Bowl – a Twilight Town tradition that closes out summer vacation. It was for just kids – a time when we get to be wild.<p>

The Struggle was a fighting tournament that pitted the toughest kids against each other. The winner would be crowned "the strongest fighter in Twilight Town." Last year I watched from the sidelines as Hayner competed. This year I was going to enter for the first time. Hayner and I have been preparing all year for it.

"Welp, tomorrow is the preliminaries," Hayner said. He looked at me. "Think you're ready, noob?"

"You bet," I said. "Just don't cry when I end up winning."

Hayner got me into a playful chokehold and rubbed my head.

"Yeah, right," Hayner said. "Like I'm going to allow that belt to go around your scrawny little waist."

I released my grip from Hayner and threw playful punches, which he blocked.

"Do I detect fear?" I asked.

"Dream on!"

There was no one better to enter the tournament with than Hayner. He was like the brother I never had. We enjoyed doing everything together. And tomorrow we would get to share our enjoyment with the citizens of Twilight Town. Hayner placed his hand on my back.

"You and I have to make the finals," Hayner said. "That way, no matter who wins, the four of us split the prize!"

"Okay, you're on!" I said.

"You two are going to clean up!"

I gave Pence a thumbs up.

"Go get 'em!" Olette said excitedly.

Hayner and I pressed our right arms into each other, making the vow to get that prize, further unifying our friendship.

"It's a promise!" Hayner said.

After we put our arms down, I said, "Remember: don't show any tears."

Hayner jokingly pushed me aside. "Get outta here!"

After we got the jokes and laughter out of our system, we started discussing our plan.

"Okay," Hayner said. "One train ticket costs 900 gold coins, so we would need 3600 total. Not to mention an additional 300 each."

"What for?" I asked.

"Pretzels, of course," Hayner said.

"In total we need 4800 gold coins," Pence said. "How much does everyone have?"

We went through our pockets and counted the money. Unfortunately, while we had a decent amount, it was nowhere near the total.

"Then let's get some odd jobs." Hayner thumbed a bulletin board. "They usually have some posted over here."

"Good idea!" Pence said. "Why didn't we think of that sooner?"

Olette giggled. "Because we were too busy eating ice cream. Duh."

Pence chuckled in response. We went over to the bulletin board and looked to see what jobs were available. My eyes were instantly drawn to 'Mail Delivery." Hey, I had a skateboard at home. I'd just use it to – what's the word – expedite the deliveries.

Olette noticed a job she could try. There was a sparkle in her eyes.

"Look, Baking Mama is in need of an assistant," Olette said excitedly. "That sounds like fun. Maybe I can get some free baked goods for the trip."

I noticed Pence and Hayner darting worried looks at each other.

"Um, Olette, why don't you try the bee extermination job instead?" Pence suggested. "Wouldn't that be better?"

Olette had a shocked expression on her face. "Are you crazy? I'm allergic to bees, remember? You guys are still worried about Baking Mama, aren't you?"

Both silently nodded. Olette was pretty upset with them. In fact, I've never seen her so angry before.

"Well, I'm going to put these silly rumors to rest and show you that Baking Mama is nothing like the way you describe her! You two are so judgmental!"

With a huff, she stormed off towards the bakery. All of us watched in silence for a few moments.

"Smooth move, guys," I said.

"Hey, if she wants to learn the hard way," Hayner said, "let her."

Pence gently placed his hand on Hayner's shoulder. "Let us pray for her soul, Hayner."

I rolled my eyes as I looked back at the board. Pence spotted something.

"Hey, Grandstander!" Pence said. "THAT sounds like fun. We could be just like K.K. and perform."

"Dude, K.K. is an ACTUAL musician," Hayner pointed out. "We don't have any special skills."

"Sure we do," Pence said. "Did you forget? We got third place in the school talent show."

Hayner crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "In first grade."

"That's irrelevant," Pence said with confidence. "We can do it. Trust me."

Hayner threw his arms up in defeat. "Fine. I'll go along with this. Besides, none of the other jobs interest me. What about you, Roxas?"

"I'm going to deliver mail."

"Okay. We'll meet up later," Hayner said.

* * *

><p>Mail deliver was a cinch. Aside from having a lot of practice with the skateboard, I knew the route around Twilight Town pretty well. I made many stops, running into many familiar faces (fortunately, Seifer wasn't one of them). At one point I delivered a letter to our mayor. When I went to put the mail in at Town Hall, I noticed the letter was from the Struggle Committee. Huh. Was the mayor going to be involved with the Struggle?<p>

I had one more letter to deliver, and it was for K.K. He also got a letter from the committee. It would be great if he performed on stage. It wasn't too hard to locate K.K., anyway. Just follow the guitar strings and you'll find him. When I heard the guitar, I noticed the tempo was very fast. Soon, I recognized the song. That was _Master Exploder_. I followed the music until I arrived back where I started.

I saw that a crowd of people had gathered in Station Heights. I pushed my way through the crowd and saw K.K. playing. Next to him was Pence and Hayner. I wonder where this was going.

"I do not need," Pence sang (terribly off key).

"He does not need," Hayner and K.K. sang in the background.

"A microphone!" Pence continued.

I couldn't even describe how awful Pence's singing was. It was like hearing someone scream as cars repeatedly drove over their feet. The audience was soon sharing my pain – half were groaning, half were booing. One guy from the crowd shouted, "My cochlea committed suicide!"

And without sticking around for another second, the crowd disappeared faster than the trio's dignity. Hayner smacked his forehead and turned to Pence.

"Wow, bro," Hayner said sarcastically, "you sure had them eating out of the palm of your hands."

"No way!" Pence said (he was clearly in denial). "I was just warming up."

K.K. sighed. "Have to agree with Hayner, my man. In order to have the skill, you need to train it."

"C'mon, guys," Pence said. "Give me another chance. I know another act we can do for the show."

"Tell it to K.K.," Hayner said. "I'm outta here!"

Hayner walked off. Pence turned to K.K., who simply shook his head. Pence sighed. I could tell he was done trying, too. He took off for the bulletin board. I walked up to K.K with the letter.

"Hi, K.K.," I said. "Got a letter for ya. Sorry the show was a total bomb."

"Hey, we all have bad days." K.K. winked at me. "Besides, blame it on Pence for getting me involved."

I chuckled and handed K.K. his letter.

"I'll read it when I get a chance. This dog's gotta keep on rollin'."

"Okay. I'll see you later."

K.K. turned towards the alleyway. I got my skateboard ready to go. When I looked back, I noticed him tilting his head. Did he see something? I looked ahead to see, what I think was, that cloaked guy from earlier. To be honest, what I saw was too fast and too far away, but it kinda looked like him. Was that what K.K. saw? I shrugged it off. Maybe it was something else. Who knows. All I could think about was the beach.

* * *

><p>Despite my best efforts, I was still short on the money we needed. I checked the bulletin board and looked for another job. I decided to help Jessie clean up the drug store. Y'know, trying to regain her trust and all. I hurried over to Tram Common. When I got there, I noticed Hayner posting some Struggle Posters. He saw me and waved me over.<p>

"Yo, Roxas. What's your money status?"

"So far so good. One more job might do it. Say, where's Pence? I know you two split after the show."

Pence lowered his brow. "Don't remind me, dude. I don't know where he is. Frankly, I don't care. I feel like an idiot for going along with his idea."

I started to open my mouth, ready to point out the irony in his statement.

"Don't even say it."

I remained silent.

"In any case, I have to get back to work." He looked at one of the clocks on a wall. "It's eleven thirty. We can make the twelve thirty easily if we keep moving."

"Right."

I was about to leave when something on the poster caught my eye. At the bottom of the poster, I noticed it was mentioning Setzer; he currently held the championship belt in the Struggle. For two years. The only problem was that Setzer had this pretentious demeanor. It wasn't like Baking Mama. She was quirky, yes, but she was very sweet. He looked at you like you were bottom of the barrel trash. He even spoke like one of those snooty rich people. And his clothing – let's not go there.

"This year Setzer is going to retire that belt," I said.

"Definitely," Hayner said. "Guy thinks he's all that." He punched his fist into his hand. "Well, he's got another thing coming. One more reason for us to make it to the finals."

"Totally."

I turned around, and before I could walk, I saw Olette standing right in front of me. For a moment, there was a blank expression on her face, something I've never seen before. Then, that blank expression blossomed into fear.

"Olette, what's wrong?" I asked.

I heard Hayner say, "It's Baking Mama, isn't it? I told you she was freaky."

"You don't even know half of it," Olette said with a nervous tone in her voice. "She was so strict. I couldn't get a break. And when I made one tiny mistake, she yelled at me. And then others times when I did something wrong, she said: 'Don't worry. Mama will fix it.'

She shivered. "It was horrible! I'll never look at muffins the same way again!"

"Get a hold of yourself, Olette!" I said. "Mama was probably having a bad day."

Olette took a moment to regain her composure. Man, I didn't think it was that bad! Maybe there was more to Mama than meets the eye.

"I'd hate to see what a good day is like," Olette said. "Thankfully I got the money we need. I'm heading to the train station. I'll lose it if I stay here and smell bread again."

Olette hurried to the train station as fast as she could.

"I told her there wasn't something right with Mama," Hayner said. "But does anybody listen to me? Noooooo."

With all the effort we went to, I hope this trip was worth it.

* * *

><p>Sometime later we all met up at the Train Station, which was located at the highest point of Twilight Town. The station was connected by a huge clock tower with four brown bells placed on each side of the building. The bells on the outside were small, while the two on the inside were big. The clock tower was out national monument; it was the first major building constructed, and was by far the tallest building in Twilight Town.<p>

We would always sneak up onto the ledge above the giant clock, and we would sit there eating ice cream. People would ask us if we're crazy, but no other place allowed us to view everything quite as good as the tower. I guess you could say it was worth plummeting to our deaths for.

We stood outside the station. Olette took out the gold coin pouch she made. The pouch was colored orange; imprinted in the middle was a light blue diamond. Inside of the diamond was a red chair shaped design. Olette counted out the money as she placed it in her pouch. We eagerly awaited the results.

"Nice work, everyone," she said. "Added to what we started with, we now have…"

She held out the pouch. "Tada! Five thousand gold coins!"

Hayner pumped his fist. "Sweet!"

I noticed a concerned look on Olette's face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing," she said. "I already have so many things in my pockets. I don't think I can fit my pouch in there."

"Here, I'll hold onto it," I said.

She handed the bag to me, and I safely stored it in my pocket.

"What are we waiting for?" Pence said excitedly. "Let's get tickets! Fun in the sun, here I come!"

Olette and Pence ran ahead. Suddenly, I heard Hayner speak up.

"We can't be together forever," he said. "So we'd better make the time we do have something to remember."

I was startled. Was Hayner really starting to ponder Pence's words? Didn't he say that it was pointless to think about grown up stuff like that now?

"Huh?"

After a brief moment, Hayner grinned. "Gotchya."

He jokingly punched me in the arm and ran to the entrance. Yeah, I think I just saw Hayner's troll face. Feeling better, I walked towards the station. Suddenly, I tripped over something, and fell onto the ground. My chin came in contact with the floor.

It was strange: I made sure to watch where I was walking. I don't remember tripping over anything.

"You okay, man?" Hayner asked.

I grunted. "Fine. Just fine."

I got onto my knees and rubbed my sore chin. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a foot. Turning to my right, I saw a pair of boots. My eyes followed the boots up until I saw who was wearing them: the cloaked man. Before I could say anything, he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up. I didn't have time to react. He was fast, and he was very rough with me. After helping me up, he pulled me towards him, and he whispered something cryptic in my ear.

"What?" I asked him.

"Roxas! Three minutes!" Hayner called.

I turned to face him. "Okay."

I turned back to see nobody was there. I scanned the area quickly, hoping not to lose sight of him. No luck. He completely vanished. How the heck did he run away so fast? I literally looked away for, like, a few seconds. What, did he jump over the ledge or something? That was weird. Forget it about for now; I'm holding everyone up.

* * *

><p>Inside the station, I saw the others at the ticket booth, which was run by Pelly, the pelican.<p>

"Four students," Hayner said.

"3600 gold coins, please."

Pence turned to me. "Roxas, the money."

I started to search through my pockets. Ever have one of those moments where you feel like time has stopped dead in its tracks? This was one of those moments. The money was gone. Just like that. I searched my pockets further, refusing to believe it.

"Wait—" I said.

I continued searching all sides. Nothing.

"No!" I shouted.

Hayner was in shock, unable to believe it either. "What? Are you serious?"

This can't be happening, I thought. All of our hard effort was for nothing. And I was the one responsible for ruining everyone's excitement. The reality of it all came in and tripped me with a stick. Wait a minute! That's it! The cloaked guy – he stole the money! No time to waste! I hurried to the exit.

"Where are you going?" Olette asked.

"Remember when I fell? I had the money before that," I said. "I bet that guy took it!

"Guy?" Hayner asked in a confused tone.

"He couldn't have gotten very far…" I slowly started to realize what Hayner just asked.

"What are you talking about?" Hayner asked. "There was no guy."

I was still in disbelief. He was right there. He grabbed me and picked me up. I could even feel his breath as he whispered.

"But he…there wasn't…really?"

My thoughts were all over the place. What was going on? Was I losing it, or was someone trying to play an elaborate prank on me? Either way, we missed our ride to the beach. I heard the train leave the station, which was followed by a sign from Pence.

"Oh boy," Pence said.

We were silent for a few moments. I didn't know what to say. Never mind that guy; because of me, the fun day we had planned was ruined. What do people feel like when they're guilty? Do they go home and jump in their bed, feeling absolutely miserable? That sounded like a good idea to me. I couldn't even look at my friends right now.

I turned to the door. "I'm going home."

"Roxas!" Hayner shouted. "Stop! It's okay, dude!"

"Okay!" I asked loudly. "I carelessly lost the money and Olette's pouch!"

"That old thing?" Olette asked with a reassuring tone. "I've been meaning to make a new one, anyways. Gives me an excuse."

Pence walked over and put his arm around me.

"Don't stress, Roxas," Pence said. "I know you wouldn't do something careless like that. Besides, the pouch was deep in your pockets. Someone must've taken it."

"Oh dear," Pelly said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"That's okay, ma'am," Pence said. "We'll manage." He turned to me. "C'mon, man. I have some leftover cash. Let's get some ice cream."

We left the station, broke and disappointed. Why wasn't anyone furious with me? Maybe that's what being a loyal friend was – no matter what, they would always be there to support you, through good times and bad.

* * *

><p>We sat at the top of the clock tower, eating our ice cream in silence. I couldn't eat. Thoughts were running through my mind like crazy. From day one strange things have been happening. The white guys, the cloaked man, and of course, Sora. There had to be a connection between them. What did they have to do with me?<p>

"It's melting," Olette said, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked down to see a drop fall off the ice cream. I could tell Olette was trying to find some way to break the uncomfortable silence. It wasn't helping.

"Sorry," I said.

"Cheer up already!" Hayner said.

"That was definitely weird, though," Pence said.

"Strange," Olette added.

"You said it," Hayner said.

I once again shunned everything around me, and buried myself into deep thought, asking more questions. Then I remembered something:

'Can you feel, Sora?' That was what the cloaked man asked me.

* * *

><p>RESTORATION AT 12%<p>

* * *

><p>DIZ continued monitoring his computer. He lightly tapped his fingers on his desk. His patience was starting to wear thin. Everything had to be perfect, he thought. One misstep could make his plans collapse into a sea of failure. The pressure was weighing on his old heart. He had to remain focused on whatever he was doing. Behind him stood the cloaked man; he held onto an orange pouch. He tossed it up into the air and caught it when it came down.<p>

"Is it really that hard to make a beach?"

"We'd be giving the enemy another entry point," Diz said.

The man held the bag towards Diz. "And this?"

Diz glanced at the bag and smirked.

"We could always buy sea-salt ice cream." He laughed. "Objects from that world must be kept out of the real world. You can delete that."

The cloaked man nodded and walked away. Unbeknownst to DIZ, the man stuck the pouch in his pocket.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: There's one thing I forgot to mention: please try not to post spoilers for KH3D in the comments.

**Day 3**

**Chapter 4: The Opening Ceremony **

The visions started again. Static took over the darkness; it was soon followed by an image of Sora picking up Yoshi and swinging him around. The two of them were laughing with each other. Yoshi's voice could be heard over the image.

"Sora and Yoshi best friends forever!"

The image soon flashed with ones and zeros, and transitioned to an image of Sora and Yoshi lying in a haystack. Yoshi was curled up in Sora's lap, and the boy stroked his head gently. The dinosaur smiled, feeling safe and secure with his friend. It didn't take too long for the screen to flash again. Now Sora and Yoshi were facing a giant purple armor monster that lacked limbs. Both of them were tired, but their strong desire to keep fighting kept them going.

"Yoshi, if we go down, we go down together," Sora said.

"Oh, where are Sora and Yoshi going down to?" Yoshi asked.

Sora chuckled and rolled his eyes. The static occurred. Yoshi was eating the hands of the armor, and he turned them into eggs. Sora hopped on each one and smashed them. There was more static. The next image showed Sora reunite with Luigi and Yoshi in a jungle house of some sorts. After Sora grabs Luigi's hands, the two turned away from each other, arms crossed.

A laid back male voice spoke up. "What I figure is, if you have no heart, you can't see your friends."

There was a brief flash of Sora's hands on top of Luigi and Yoshi's, and then it changed to Sora approaching Luigi inside a stone temple.

Sora rubbed his head. "Um, Luigi?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"I'm sorry about earlier. I overacted."

"I'm sorry for the mean things I said, too."

Yoshi jumped in and put his arms around Sora and Luigi.

"Yoshi! All for one and one for all, right?"

There was a flash again. Sora sadly watched Yoshi sit at a fire with dinosaurs that looked exactly like him. Apparently they were on an island of some kind. An older looking dinosaur walked up to Sora and whispered in his ear.

"Sora, did you make your decision?" he asked.

"Take real good care of him."

Another flash. Sora and Yoshi were sitting on the beach together. There was an upset look on the dinosaur's face.

"Why did Sora leave without Yoshi?"

Static briefly filled the screen again. As Sora responded, there were various cuts of Sora and Yoshi fighting the heartless together.

"Well...Yoshi...I knew how much you wanted to find this home. And when you did, you started to ignore me. And when I was playing that game with Pinkie, you said you wanted to stay here forever."

The image flashed back to Yoshi laughing in response.

"Sora misheard Yoshi. Yoshi said he wish he could stay here forever. But Yoshi much rather be with Sora and Luigi."

As Yoshi continued, there was yet another flash; the images showed the trio laughing together and traveling to other worlds in their giant airplane.

"Yoshi love adventures he goes on with Luigi and Sora. And he'd miss Sora too much."

Once again, the static flashed, and it cut back to Sora and Yoshi on the island. Sora lowered his head, too embarrassed to the show the tears streaming down his cheeks. It was like Yoshi stuck his hand inside of Sora's chest to touch his heart. The dinosaur embraced Sora and licked his face to calm him down.

"We always be together."

Another flash transitioned to an image of Sora sitting on a bed, talking to Luigi and Yoshi. There was a hesitant look in his eyes, almost like he was trying to restrain the words in his mouth.

"Once the worlds are separated," Sora said dejectedly, "we'll never be able to see each other again."

Not a word was exchanged between the friends. The room was filled with silent devastation. There was one last flash, which transitioned to Sora saying good-bye to his friends in a dark world; they stood on a white floating island. As Sora looked at Yoshi, he didn't want to say good-bye. Hearing the words come out of his mouth was an assault on the eardrums.

Yoshi whimpered. "I..I love you, Sora."

Unable to contain his sadness anymore, Sora brought Yoshi into his arms, and the two cried their hearts out to each other. There was one final voice over from Sora.

"No matter what happens, we'll always be best friends forever."

Everything went white.

* * *

><p>I slowly opened my eyes. I didn't move a muscle. I just stared at the ceiling in silence. Sometimes dreams made you feel like a completely useless bystander. It's like you're tied up, gagged, and forced to endure the most unpleasant images. However, when I woke up from the dream, something felt weird. My right cheek felt moist. I sat up and wiped the wetness away. Was I crying in my sleep? How could that be? There was nobody that I knew in the dream. But after sitting there and contemplating, I started to feel like I knew Yoshi. In fact, he started to feel like a good friend I had to say good bye to.<p>

I even started imagining myself in Sora's place, as if I was the one going through the motions. Things were getting weirder by the second. What also struck me was the tear. I've never cried before. Was I starting to finally understand what an emotion felt like? I'll tell you one thing: sadness was not a pleasant feeling. I felt so bad that Sora and Yoshi were forced to end their friendship. I then remembered what Hayner said yesterday.

"_We can't be together forever. So we'd better make the time we do have something to remember."_

I wondered if there was sincerity hidden beneath that joke. Before I questioned this further, I heard a light tap on my window, which startled me. At first I thought it was nothing, but voices immediately followed the sound.

"Roxas! Rise and shine, sleephead!" Olette said.

"Wake up, Goldilocks!" Hayner shouted.

I pushed open my windows and looked down to see my friends waving to me. Despite yesterday ending on a sour note, I saw the biggest smiles on their faces.

"About time, man!" Hayner said. "The Struggle's starting in an hour!"

I clutched my head in realization. "Aw, man! I must've forgotten to set my alarm!"

Pence grinned. "Typical Roxas."

"What's that supposed to me?" I asked Pence.

"Forget him," Hayner said. "You have ten minutes to get your butt down here, or else we're leaving without you. I want to get there nice and early, so I'm not going to let some slacker eat up my time. Got it?"

"We'll see who's slacking when I beat you!" I said.

"Just get down here!" Hayner said impatiently.

I grabbed my clothes, hurried out the door, and went through my morning routine. There was no way I'm going to the arena by myself. Just getting to a place with friends was exciting alone.

* * *

><p>The usual, empty Sandlot was now full of people, vendors, and of course, a large rectangular stage. We got to the arena a half hour early, just as the crowd was starting to arrive. Looking at the top of the buildings, I saw people up there unfolding their beach chairs. Definitely the best seat for any event at the Sandlot. I remember that Hayner and I used to watch the Struggle up there, looking down at the action. But this year, we'd be looking up at the crowd as they cheered us on and threw confetti. How could that not pump anyone up?<p>

We started wandering around the area, taking in the sights and smells of the arena. I could already smell juicy, plump hotdogs roasting over a hot grill. Hanging off of the buildings were giant banners in various colors (orange, green, and blue, to name a few). Printed on the banners was a hand holding a struggle sword. On a banner located towards the bottom of the building, it said 'Struggle.'

Hayner and I exchanged smiles. We couldn't wait to get started. Already we tried to seek out our competition. We were able to identify them because those competing in the Struggle wore blue entry badges. None of the other competitors seemed to be here yet; only spectators and people we knew from Twilight High (let the giggling commence) were present.

As we continued walking around, one of the vendors we ran into was Baking Mama. She had brought special pastries for everyone. She saw us immediately.

"Roxas! Hayner!" she called.

Our excited looks changed to worry. Olette was already looking pale just from the sight of her. But it would be rude of us to ignore her. Both Hayner and I walked up to the counter.

"Hello, ma'am," I said. "Good to see you here."

"Of course," Mama said. "Wouldn't want to miss two of my favorite customers compete today."

"Greatly appreciate that," Hayner said. There was uneasy tone in his voice. "We'll try not to disappoint."

Mama handed us two chocolate chip muffins. "Here, you two look famished. Eat these. You'll need your strength. Good luck out there."

I smiled. "Thanks."

We both walked over to Pence and Olette.

"Oh good," Pence said with relief. "You made it back in one piece."

Hayner was already wolfing down his muffin. "Say what you will, dude. She's nutty as a fruitcake, but I bet she could make a fruitcake taste like chocolate cake. This is delicious!"

I looked at Olette. She wasn't pale like before, but I could tell it'd be awhile before she'd even look at another pastry. When Hayner and I were near the last bite, we heard a familiar voice.

"Don't stuff yourselves, girls," Seifer said. "All of those calories will go right to your thighs."

Sure enough, when we turned around, we saw Seifer standing there with his gang, giving us those big mocking smiles. This day was off to a great start, I thought. Hayner was already getting ticked off at Seifer's very presence.

"Oh yeah?" Hayner asked. "Well, in a few seconds your lower lip is going to gain a few pounds!"

Hayner started to walk towards Seifer, but, as usual, Pence and I had to restrain him.

"Go ahead," Seifer said with a daring tone in his voice. "In front of millions of people. That'd be real smart."

"I don't care!" Hayner said.

"You'll be disqualified, you moron," I said. "Save it for the ring!"

I felt Hayner's arms start to relax. Soon enough, he let out a big sigh. It was safe to let him go, I thought. There was no way he'd get himself booted from the tournament; we've been preparing so much for this day, and for him to carelessly get disqualified would be inexcusable.

Seifer smirked. "Maybe you should quit while you're ahead. It'd save you from the embarrassing thrashing I'm going to give you."

"So enjoy yourselves while you can, y'know?" Rai said. "Because when you face Seifer, it's an auto K.O. for you."

"Funny," Pence said. "Wasn't Roxas the one who beat Seifer the other day?"

Seifer got red in the face, and he quickly tried to brush it off. "I don't recall asking for commentary from the peanut gallery, tubby."

"Seifer wasn't feelin' it, y'know?"

"Tournament decides," Fuu said.

I heard Olette say, "Vivi! You're competing too?"

I looked at Vivi – he had the blue badge on. For real? Vivi, who was practically afraid of his own shadow, was competing in the Struggle? My friends and I murmured to each other in shock.

"Y-yes," Vivi said shyly.

Seifer roughly patted him on the back, knocking him over in the process. Fuu and Rai started laughing.

"It'd be good for the little runt," Seifer said. "This tournament will help him build some backbone. Ain't that right, squirt?"

Vivi looked up at Seifer and nodded. Honestly, you couldn't help but feel bad for Vivi. He was like the black sheep of Seifer's gang. I'm willing to bet he wouldn't hurt a fly, yet here he is, hanging out with a bunch of lug heads.

"Beating each other up doesn't build backbone," Olette said. "Vivi just needs to believe in himself."

"Unfortunately, he can't do that by himself," Seifer said. "That's why I'm here to give him a boost."

Suddenly, we heard someone call out to Seifer. "Yeah, right. Since when have you shown compassion for someone smaller than yourself?"

I spun around to see Saki Amamiya approaching us. Saki was one of the most athletic people at our school. He was on the archery team and fencing team. Odd combination, I know. But everyone also knew him because, believe it or not, he, along with Seifer, founded the Disciplinary Committee together. I think Saki and Seifer were friends at one point, but through a series of events that remained a mystery to me, Saki and Seifer were no longer on speaking terms. Saki even left the committee to pursue his after school activities.

Hey, if you hang out with Seifer for awhile, I'd totally understand why you'd want to ditch him. Unlike Seifer, Saki had a sense of right and wrong; he came across as modest. Saki had long blonde hair, and he wore a yellow shirt and black shorts. He walked passed us and stopped in front of Seifer and his gang.

Seifer frowned. "Long time no see, Saki. I'm surprised you'd show your face in front of us."

"Hey, I sometimes like to check up on you," Saki said. "Wanted see how well the committee's holding up. And to my surprise, I see that it's on the right path. A downward path, that is."

Rai glared angrily at Saki. "Shut your mouth! Don't speak to Seifer like that! He's been better off without you, y'know? So why don't you get lost before this gets ugly?"

"I would love to," Saki said, "but, see, I'm also competing in this tournament."

I looked around Saki to see he had the same blue badge on. This tournament was going to be…interesting. What would happen if Saki and Seifer fought? Seifer smirked; I bet he was thinking the same thing.

"Is that so?" Seifer asked. "Well, I just hope you realize what you're getting into."

"Of course," Saki said. "But don't worry: I can put up with you and your boot licking friends."

"We're not boot lickers, y'know?"

"Loyal friends," Fuu added.

"We just like to fulfill Seifer's needs, y'know?" Rai said. "What's wrong with that?"

I rolled my eyes at Rai. What an idiot. Before another word was exchanged, we heard the producer of the Struggle over the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The opening ceremony will begin in a few minutes! All competitors must report to the tournament bracket immediately!"

Saki turned back to Seifer as the producer finished. "I hope we do end up facing each other, Seifer. Then I could smack some sense into you. Maybe then you'll understand why our partnership failed."

"By all means," Seifer said. "Just try not to be disappointed when you lose."

"See you in the ring," Saki said.

I wonder what happened, I thought to myself. Most likely Seifer's fault, but I was still curious. Saki started walking away from Seifer's gang when he stopped next to Vivi.

"Can I give you a piece of advice?" Saki asked.

Vivi nodded.

"Leave the committee while you still can. It's not worth it. I know you have the confidence; you just have to look deep inside of yourself."

I could tell Vivi was pondering Saki's words. Seifer, on the other hand, had heard enough.

"Mind your own business!" Seifer said angrily. "I'm not going to let you talk to my boys like that!"

"Suit yourself, Seifer," Saki said.

Saki walked away, leaving Seifer's gang furious with him. I've never seen Seifer get so mad before. And without even throwing another insult at us, they walked away. We couldn't believe it. This must've been serious business. But it wasn't our concern. Shrugging the argument off, Hayner and I turned to each other, once again grinning.

"You ready to do this?" Hayner asked.

"You bet!"

We gave Pence and Olette high fives. They were our biggest fans in this competition, and they would give us the loudest cheers.

"Go get 'em, guys!" Pence said.

"Have fun out there!" Olette said.

After saying good-bye, we headed over to the tournament brackets. We lined up, and the producer walked by, checking our badges with a scanner. The arena was filling up faster than a cup of water. There was so much excitement going on in the audience. Unfortunately, despite the high spirits Hayner and I had, we could sense the tension between Seifer and Saki. And worst of all, I found myself standing right next to Saki. Talk about getting caught in the middle of a flame war. Thankfully Seifer was all the way at the other end.

Finally, the producer walked on stage. The murmuring soon erupted into cheers as fireworks went off in the sky.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the producer said, "Struggle-fiends of Twilight Town! It's time for summer's most sizzling clash! That's right! Today is the day for the 5th Annual Twilight Town Struggle!"

The audience's cheers grew louder. Man, where's the earplugs when you need 'em?

"We've got a hot competition this year! Plenty of new faces enter the ring, along with some old favorites! Let's invite these young fellas out and give them a round of applause!"

If the cheers got any louder, I thought my ear drums would burst. We walked out on stage, giving the audience a chance to encourage us with their cheers. At one point, I waved to the crowd.

I heard Hayner whisper to me, "Somebody's getting into it."

I even heard Pence and Olette shout our names. The producer came back on stage.

"Settle down, folks," the producer said. "The excitement has only begun. Now, it's time to welcome our current champion. For two years he's been holdin' the belt, and I'd be lyin' if I said this kid didn't have some slick moves. I give you: the one, the only, Setzer Gabbiani!"

And cue the screaming fangirls. Setzer gracefully walked onto the stage as everyone and their mother chanted his name. He had long silver hair that blew in the wind. He had on a violet shirt and violet boots that were as stunning as a lilac. On his shoulders he carried a majestic black coat that made him mysterious as the night itself.

Give me a break. Just giving those ridiculous descriptions is causing a gag reflex.

He was showboating, bathing in all of the attention. He loved it. I could tell. If I made it to the finals, facing Setzer would not be pleasant. He'd try to show off every step of the way. I glanced at Hayner, who rolled his eyes at me. He too saw Setzer's ego strutting around the arena. The producer finally ended our misery and spoke up.

"Alrighty," the producer said. "We'll see more of Setzer during the finals. Let's start off with the opening ceremony. Before we get to our surprise performance, we have a guest speaker to start things off. It is an honor that he'd take time out of his busy schedule just to be here today. Folks, please give a warm welcome to the mayor of Twilight Town: Mayor Will Wright!"

As we exited the stage, I heard light clapping. Probably from the adults. Us kids didn't exactly connect with the mayor. He was all about work and renovation. That's not exactly what we want from a tournament where you beat people up with Styrofoam swords. A microphone was put on stage as the mayor walked out, carrying papers in his hands. He looked like one of those nerdy science teachers you see in high school movies. He wore a red business suit with a purple bowtie, and had short, round glasses on.

The only memorable thing about him was his bizarre haircut. It was tall and green. That's all I could say. He looked like a chia pet...er…chia human. Whatever. He was also short. When he walked up to the mic, it was above his head. He cleared his throat and pointed up to the mic. The producer ran out and adjusted it.

Mayor Wright cleared his throat. "Greetings and salutations, my fine citizens."

Someone shouted from the audience, "Boring!"

"Bring Setzer back!" one of the fangirls said.

"Now, now," the mayor said in his nasally voice, "I know we're all excited by the prospect of seeing people engage in a brawl. But with school starting in a few days, I thought I'd take a few minutes to discuss with you youngsters how to make this school year productive. Your future depends on it."

Everyone in the audience moaned. This was going to take awhile. As the mayor started to give his speech, I immediately channeled him out. I started thinking about the strange dreams again. But I didn't get very far.

"Hey, aren't you Roxas?" Saki asked in a whisper.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I turned to Saki. "Uh-huh."

"I heard about the photo incident," Saki said. "Gotta say, I'm glad you took the high road and returned them."

"I didn't exactly steal them."

"Whatever the case," Saki said, "I'm glad you did the right thing. Sometimes I wish there were more decent people like you."

"Tell me about it. Seifer isn't exactly Mr. Nice-Guy."

"Ah yes. Seifer. He's told me about you and your friends."

"And I bet his comments were insulting and moronic."

"You bet," Saki said. "I won't go into details."

"Thanks. I don't mean to sound nosey, but what exactly happened between you and Seifer?"

"Oh, y'know. Seifer's ego got the best of him. He took the committee, which we worked so hard to get off the ground, in a whole new direction. Imitation and threats aren't exactly the best way to handle a situation. He and I used to be friends. But soon, we found ourselves as enemies. We'd fight all the time. The last straw for me was when he brought Rai and Fuu in. I mean, those two are troublemakers. What does he see in them?"

"Well, nice doormats for him to step on," I answered.

"Exactly. Plus, he wouldn't even discuss it with me. I was done after that. It was time to move on. I'm actually planning to start a new committee. One that will make people feel safe around town. Care to join? You seem like the kinda guy who wants to keep order in this town."

"No thanks," I said. "I'm already a part of a group, and they're my best friends."

"That's cool. Some of my friends are helping me out, anyway."

Mayor Wright wrapped up his speech. "And remember: respect, confidence, and a strong work ethic are the keys to success. Think about these words as you start school off the right way. One more announcement: we plan to start construction on something special. As to what it is, I can't reveal yet, but I hope you look forward to the changes. Thank you and best of luck in the Struggle."

There were light claps as the mayor walked off stage. The producer came back on.

"Thank you, mayor," the producer said. "Truly a great man that wants to connect with the youth of today. Whatdaya say we warm up this crowd with our opening act?"

The roar of the audience's cheers soon revitalized the dead silence.

"I am so excited about our opening act this year," the producer continued. "He's never played in front of a crowd this big! He usually entertains us on the streets with his musical talents. Ladies and gentlemen! Put your hands together for the top dog of Twilight Town, in his Struggle debut: K.K. Slider!"

I knew it! K.K. was going to perform. The audience cheered again as some crew members brought out a chair and a microphone. Moments later, K.K. walked onto the stage with his guitar and stopped in front of the chair.

"Hey all you groovy cats," K.K. said. "I'm glad to see so many happy faces here. I can tell this is going to be one summer we won't forget."

K.K. sat down and crossed his left leg.

"I wanna thank the Struggle committee for letting me perform," he continued. "And I want to thank all of my good friends for your support. As always, I'm takin' requests."

Olette shouted out, "K.K. Bossa, please!"

K.K. smiled. "Far out."

K.K. gently stroked the strings on his guitar, producing a very calming melody that went right for the heart. However, what made K.K. famous was his singing. It wasn't like anything you've ever heard.

"O Na Me O," K.K. sang. "O Na Me Oooooo Na Me O. Quay Quay Quay. O Na Me Ah, Me O, Me O."

He sounded like a music synthesizer – high pitched and unnatural. But it worked. His voice sounded really good. Looking in the audience, I saw everyone watching him in awe. At one point I saw Rai rubbing his eyes. He even sniffled! Never thought I'd see someone "macho" like Rai break down.

"I don't understand a word comin' outta that dog's mouth," Rai said. "But man is it good, y'know?"

"Wimp," Fuu said.

Rai put his hand on Fuu's shoulder. "Tough guys cry, Fuu. Tough guys cry."

Fuu looked like she was ready to deck him.

"Hands off."

Rai quickly took his hand away. I chuckled and turned back towards K.K. As I did, I saw a figure standing behind the crowd. He was near by the pathway to Tram Common. I didn't think much of it, but then something clicked in my brain. I quickly looked back at the guy. He was wearing the black coat. It was him! The pickpocket! I had the feeling he noticed me, as when I made eye contact with him, he instantly headed towards Tram Common.

My mind was racing. What to do? I didn't want to ruin K.K.'s performance. I could tell someone, but by the time I did, the pickpocket would be gone. Besides, I didn't have any proof. I wouldn't be surprised if no one saw him. I had to act, but I didn't want to get disqualified. I'd be breaking my promise to Hayner, and I was not about to carelessly throw our friendship aside.

But then another thought occurred to me: with all the weird stuff going on – like the guys in white – maybe this weirdo had all the answers I was looking for. Possibly for the dreams, too. This was my only shot. I had to pray that I'd be the last round of the day. There was no time to lose. I snuck my way out of the line and hurried to Tram Common.

I was hoping to put this insanity to rest. Or, so I thought.


	6. Chapter 5

**Day 3**

**Chapter 5: Let's Struggle!**

I'm crazy. I'm crazy. I'm crazy. Those were the words that continued playing in my head. Was I really doing this? Sometimes we do crazy things in the heat of the moment, not realizing the consequences that would follow. I didn't know what to expect from this guy. If he had the same powers as those white creatures, this was going to be a nightmare. But I didn't care. I was seeking answers, and I'm not letting this guy get away.

I was able to catch up with the guy at Tram Common. He moved like a slug. I started getting closer and closer to him. My only option was to get the jump on him before he could react. This was it. No turning back. I hope I was doing the right thing. I was about to make my move when he spun around and pointed some strange purple gun at me. I immediately came to a halt and put my hands up. Okay, what now, idiot? You got yourself into this mess; how do you get out of it?

I started to slowly turn around, hoping that if I back off, he won't bother me.

"Slowly I turn," I said. "Step by step. Inch by inch."

"Whoa, hold up, bucko," the man said. "Like you're getting off the hook that easily. As if."

When I heard his voice, I realized that this was not the same guy. He just wore the exact same coat. He sounded like some cheesy surfer dude.

"Listen, I-I don't want any trouble."

The man laughed. "Don't want any trouble? Kid, you're the one who STARTED trouble in the first place. See, I was on my way to put someone to sleep, but then you came along. And guess what, man? You just made my job a hell of a lot easier. So I guess I should be thankful that you're blessed with stupidity."

Before I could respond, I heard the sound of the audience cheering in the distance.

"Uh-oh," the man said. "Time's runnin' out. We better get a move on."

It was time for me to pull off another crazy move. I quickly spun around and elbowed the man in the chin. As fast as I could, I ran to the Sandlot. I'll be safe with a crowd of people. I didn't look back – I had to assume he was chasing after me. All of a sudden, he appeared right in front of me. I stopped once again, baffled as to how he did that.

The man laughed again. "Clever little sneak. That was pretty gutsy of ya. Too bad you won't get lucky again. I never screw up twice. I'll give you one chance to come along quietly."

"No way!" I shouted. "I don't know what you're beef is with me, but I'm not going anywhere!"

The man stared at me in silence for a moment.

"Heh, heh. I never get tired of seeing that face of yours," the man said. "I swear, you look at me as if I just drowned your goldfish or something."

I tilted my head in confusion. "But…you can't drown a goldfish. They need water to breathe."

There was another pause before the guy said, "Welp, you just made things harder on yourself. Nighty-night."

The man pointed his gun at me and fired a giant purple arrow. It moved so fast; there was no way I could dodge it in time. Did I do the right thing? Was it all worth it? I was regretting my decision. Hayner. Pence. Olette. K.K – I'm sorry. I braced myself for the attack when I felt something pull my arm. It swung straight down at the arrow. My hand started glowing again. The glow knocked the attack away.

"What the—" the man asked.

When the glow died down, I saw the keyblade in my hand. Where did it come from? Does it appear when I'm in danger? Who cares! I was grateful to have it again.

"Well, looks like somebody's been holdin' out on me," the man said. "But don't expect your giant house key to help ya outta this one."

I didn't let him intimidate me. My only option was to fight. I ran at the guy and swung my blade. Somehow, this guy managed to summon another strange gun, and he put both of them together to block my attack. I tried to push down, but he was able to hold his position. I gritted my teeth as I pushed with all my might.

"Give me a break."

I saw the two guns glow bright pink, and soon I saw nothing but pink. A loud, deafening explosion went off; the sound punched me right in the eardrums, while the force of the attack knocked me back a great distance. I felt the burning pain of the attack as I landed on my back. My body was numb; with just one attack I felt crippled. I was trembling from the burning pain. I slowly tried to sit up, but pain had forced my body to give up. I lay back on the ground, catching my breath. Now what I do?

"Tsk, tsk," the man said. "Ya should've known better."

Endure the pain. Endure the pain, my brain was telling me; you need to get up. As I tried sitting up, the man started approaching me.

The man sighed. "These keyblade masters nowadays think they're hot stuff. Phht. As if. They hold their blades about as well as a butter knife."

The man pointed his gun at me.

"Kudos for trying, though," the man said. "Now be a good boy and go to sleep."

Before the man could fire another arrow, something bizarre happened (how many times have I said that?). Four green, glowing cufflinks of some kind appeared on his wrists and lower legs. The cufflinks on his arms pulled them up towards the sky.

"This can't be happening!" He struggled to break free, but the grip was too strong. "Let go! Grrrr!"

Suddenly, a giant green portal consisting of ones and zeros appeared behind him. He looked over his shoulder at it, and then looked at me one last time.

"Guess today's your lucky day," the man said. "Don't think for a second that you can rest easy. I won't allow it, 'cause I'll be back."

Like a garbage bag, the cufflinks effortlessly tossed the man into the portal, and it vanished soon after. I couldn't form any kind of thought. I was mixed with relief and exhaustion. All I wanted to do was pass out on the ground. And that's exactly what I did.

* * *

><p>I didn't know how long I was out for. Feeling myself regain consciousness, I slowly opened my eyes; the whole time I heard the sound of the crowd. I heard K.K.'s voice.<p>

"Hey, he's wakin' up!"

I opened my eyes to see K.K., Hayner, Pence, and Olette looking at me in concern.

"You alright, Roxas?" Olette asked.

I sat up, rubbing my forehead, and gathering my thoughts together. I looked down to see that I was lying on a bench.

"I think so. What happened?"

"Dunno," Hayner said. "Before the song finished, you seemed sort of tired. You went over to the bench to rest, and I guess you fell asleep."

"We were starting to worry about you," Pence said.

I shook my head. Is that what happened? No, that couldn't be right. Suddenly, the memories returned to me. I told everyone about the guy in black and how I followed him. I didn't get into specifics. Unfortunately, judging from their expressions, I think they didn't believe me.

"Probably just a dream, my man," K.K. said. "The sun is known to give our brains a strange vibe."

"But I'm telling you it happened!"

"Say what you want, dude," Hayner said. "We were watching you. You didn't move from that bench."

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Olette asked. "Maybe all the excitement kept you up."

"Or maybe he was just scared out of his mind," Seifer called out.

Hayner angrily turned to Seifer. "Mind your own business! Or else I'll give YOU a reason to be scared!"

"Come on, then," Seifer said with a challenging tone in his voice. "Give me a reason to start making me wear brown pants!"

"You got it!"

Before Hayner could act, the producer stepped in.

"Whoa, fellas," the producer said. "Let's save it for the ring now."

So many things didn't make sense to me. Everything felt real, especially the pain I felt from that guy's weird guns. I looked over myself – no bruises or scars. Earlier I was in crippling pain. Now I was perfectly fine. With all the strange stuff happening to me, I kept convincing myself that it was real. However, I wasn't going to continue arguing the point. What proof did I have?

"You might be right, Olette," I said. "I didn't get enough sleep. I figured I'd take a quick nap. Sorry I didn't let you guys know."

K.K. brushed my hair. "No problem, kiddo. Just glad you're okay. I'm going to go do some mingling before the next match. Good luck out there, Roxas."

K.K. left, and I turned back to my friends.

"How long was I out for?" I asked.

"For most of the tournament," Pence said. "Everyone else got through their matches."

Hayner grinned, "An easy victory for yours truly."

I gave Hayner a high five. "Congrats. I knew you'd do it."

"But get this," Pence said. "Vivi actually WON his match!"

My jaw dropped. Vivi? The guy who once got scared of a paper airplane was victorious?

Hayner scoffed. "Just barely. Vivi fell down, and his opponent ended up tripping over him, landing outside of the ring."

I knew there was more to the story. I imagined that match ended in laughter, and with a facepalm from Seifer.

"Yeah. Talk about embarrassing," Pence said. "Seifer also won his match. You're the last match of the day, Roxas."

"And who's my opponent?"

"Saki," Olette said.

I felt a lump in my throat. Remember: Saki was on the fencing team. I was decent with a sword, but being decent wouldn't fair well against someone fully trained. Hayner patted me on the back.

"Relax," Hayner said. "As long as you stop lazing around, you'll do fine out there."

"Attention!" the producer said. "The next match will begin in ten minutes. Will both competitors please report to the tournament bracket?"

I stood up; it was time to get my head together and focus.

"Are you okay to fight?" Olette asked.

I gave Olette the thumbs up. "Of course. After all, I have a promise to keep."

I smiled at Hayner, who nodded in response.

"Then go get 'em!" Pence said.

I made my way towards the bracket. On the way, I ran into Saki.

"Hey Roxas," Saki said. "You alright? I saw what happened."

"I'm fine. Just dozed off."

"Ah. I hope it doesn't affect your performance out there."

"Oh, I think I'm rested enough," I said. "What about you? Ready to do this?"

"Yep. I was hoping to face Seifer first, but hey, I'm looking forward to a good fight. You're just one roadblock."

"Ha! We'll see!"

As we approached the bracket, I looked around to see where K.K. was. Strangely, he was nowhere in sight. Was he sore at me because I fell asleep during his song? Nah. He never held a grudge. He probably had to do something. Shouldn't let it get to me. It's Hayner and the others I had to focus on. I can't let them down; I'm going to win that prize for us.

The Struggle crew helped us into our black Velcro armor. It looked like the kind you'd see on _American Gladiators_, only we wore a giant vest. The producers went over the rules with me. Y'know, since everyone 'claimed' I fell asleep. How it works was each player started out with fifty orbs attached to their armor. Our goal was to knock the orbs off and collect the other player's orbs. Whoever had the most orbs by the time three minutes were up, wins. Other ways to win included collecting all one hundred orbs or knocking the player out of the ring. Simple rules.

After getting into our gear, Biggs, who was the announcer, called us onto the stage.

"Alright, folks," Biggs said. "The sun might be setting, but the action on stage is still heating up! Time for the final match of the day. And what a pair we got: both are first time contenders! First we got Twilight High's number one athlete: Saki Amamiya!"

The audience cheered as Saki walked onto the stage.

"And his opponent just happens to be my favorite customer: give it up for Roxas!"

I instantly heard my friends shout my name. It felt good to have fans. The rest of the audience cheered as well. While I made my way to the ring, I could've sworn I heard Setzer making a bet with someone over who's going to win. Unfortunately, he wasn't rooting for me. Honestly, do I really care? Upon getting to the middle of the ring, I looked out into the audience. When I looked over at my friends, I saw that K.K. was with them. Good. Now everyone was here.

The producer handed us our Struggle swords.

"Good luck, boys," the producer said. "Keep it clean."

We both got into our battle positions. I gripped my handle tightly, waiting for the command.

"Give it your all!" Saki said.

"You got it! Don't hold back!"

"Our two combatants are raring to go!" Biggs said. "Audience, you know what to do!"

Everyone shouted, "Three….Two…..One! STRUGGLE!"

I ran at Saki and swung, but he stepped back to avoid my attack. I tried to go in for a thrust, but he faced his sword downward and blocked it. I twisted my sword and tried to go in for a left thrust, and he moved his blade accordingly to block. Now he went on the offense, as he tried to bring his blade down; I quickly blocked it. He slid his blade off of mine and swung for my side. I hopped back, but was off balance because of the position. Saki took this chance to swing the blade right at my chest, knocking me over in the process. I heard the audience exclaim as I hit the ground. Looking back up, I saw Saki grab about ten orbs that fell.

"Uh-oh," Biggs said. "This doesn't look like a good start for Roxas!"

Don't say that. I'm going to lose my concentration. I got back up and tried to attack. Saki once again dodged it. I was in trouble. For the first forty five seconds of the battle, I found myself on the defense, constantly blocking his ruthless attacks. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get a hit in. As we swung out swords back and forth, I found myself having to move backwards – right towards the edge! When I was near the edge, I tried to thrust, hoping to keep him at bay. But, like a fly swatter, he knocked my sword down. He attempted to swing at my chest, but I rolled past him.

I turned around while kneeled over and swung at him. Saki did a back flip to dodge it. I heard "oohs" and "wows" from the audience. That was impressive. As I stood up, while holding the handle with both hands, I blocked another attack. Saki quickly released his blade from the block and tried to attack again. This time I pointed my blade straight up to block it. However, Saki used all of his strength to push me back. Using swift attacks, he knocked more orbs off of my vest. At least ten more. I tried to run for four on the right, but Saki intercepted me and stuck his blade out towards my chest. I swung my blade upward, knocking his blade up. Next I side stepped right and dove for two of them.

After grabbing them, I tried to go for the other two nearby. Saki swung his blade down near my hand to stop me, and he grabbed the other two. I made a dash for the others scattered throughout the arena. I only managed to grab two more, while Saki grabbed the rest of them. I gritted my teeth; there had to be a way to beat him.

"One minute remaining!" Biggs said.

We both swung our blades back and forth, and then we got into a blade lock.

"You're not half bad," Saki said. "But you don't have the right skills to compete with me."

I managed to push his blade down towards the ground, but we still held the lock. Our shoulders were touching each other. I tried to hold it down; need to form a plan quickly.

"Got news for you," I said. "It takes more than just skill to win a fight."

Saki pushed our blades up and swung again. While holding onto the tip of the blade with my free hand, I swung across. When I brought the other way to block again, I purposely loosened my hands; so upon contact, my blade was knocked to the edge of the arena. It was hanging on by a thread. My plan required luck and timing. Only one shot.

"Oh, this might be a win for Saki," Biggs said. "If Roxas' sword falls off, he'll automatically be disqualified for not having a weapon."

Saki grinned. "I'll have to help that along, then."

We both ran for the sword. Putting every ounce of strength into my legs, I ran past Saki. However, I had to pace myself in order for my plan to work. I got to the sword, picked it up, and spun around to block an attack. Placing my left hand on the tip of my blade, I pushed myself around Saki until I was facing his back. With all I might, I delivered a mighty swing that knocked him off the edge (don't worry; there's an inflatable structures to catch the player).

I sighed with relief. I can't believe that worked. The audience couldn't believe it either, as silence filled the Sandlot.

Finally, Biggs spoke up. "Unbelievable! Despite the overwhelming odds, Roxas has knocked Saki out of the ring. He's moving on to the semi-finals!"

The audience cheered, chanting my name. I smiled. For a moment, I could've sworn I was feeling an emotion again, and it was of pride. Hearing those cheers from the audience would make anyone's confidence soar into the sky. I looked to see my friends cheering the most. Olette and Pence were jumping for joy; K.K. smiled at me; and Hayner, with his famous grin, gave me the thumbs up.

I walked over to Saki, who was lying on the structure, defeated. He looked up at me, smiling.

"Guess it does take more than skill," Saki said. "You let me knock the sword out of your hand, didn't ya?"

I grinned. "Maybe. To be honest, I didn't think that would work. Consider it a bit of dumb luck."

I helped Saki up.

"And I got a bit overconfident," Saki said. "I really misjudged you. You're quite talented."

"Thanks. You too."

"Your talents could be put to good use, ya know," Saki said. "Are you sure you don't want to join the new committee?"

"No. I'm happy where I am."

Saki chuckled. "Figures. Will you at least do me a favor? Beat Seifer and win the championship. I need a reason to enter next year, after all."

I shook Saki's hand. Not only did I win, but I made a new friend in the process. If I did win the championship, I'd look forward to the rematch.

"You got it, man."

We both said our good-byes, and Saki left the arena. My friends came over to congratulate me.

"That was sweet!" Pence said.

"Great job, Roxas," Olette said.

Hayner got me into a headlock. "You did okay out there."

"C'mon, Hayner," I said. "Secretly you're intimated by me."

"Yeah, right. Let's wait for the next round, okay?"

He released our grip, and we crossed our arms again.

"It's a promise," I said.

"I'm so happy for both of you," Olette said. "You've come so far already."

"This calls for a celebration!" Pence said.

We all cheered. Hey, it might've been the preliminaries, but the fact that both of us moved on to the semi-finals was reason enough to celebrate. Even though the weirdness continued, at least the day ended on a high note. Now we had a day off before the semi-finals, the finals, and the championship match. Better revel in our victory while we can.

"Congrats, guys," K.K. said. "You sure put on one heck of a show. I know one of you is going to win the whole thing. I can feel it in my bones."

"Want to come celebrate with us?" Pence asked.

"Nah; I've had enough excitement for one day. Gotta rest up for tomorrow. Back to work for me."

"Oh, okay," Pence said. "We'll see you tomorrow, K.K."

And with that said, we all left the arena.

* * *

><p>What's the best way to celebrate a victory? Throw a party? Nope. Go out to dinner? Not even close. With us, it's doing what we love: eat sea-salt ice cream on top of the clock tower. I know; we're strange like that. We sat there, eating our ice cream, and talking among each other.<p>

"Man, you'd think we'd get tired from eating ice cream all the time," Hayner said.

"That's the power of sea-salt ice cream," Pence said. "One lick and you can't stop."

"And you know where the best place to enjoy that ice cream is?" Hayner asked. "The beach."

The rest of us sighed; after everything that happened yesterday, there's no way I'm going to work my butt off again.

"Not again," Pence said.

"Wait, I got a new plan," Hayner said. "It's gonna work this time! Tomorrow's the day we hit the beach! And Roxas, don't sweat about the money. Leave it to me."

"If you say so," I said.

While my friends were chatting with each other, I looked down at my hands. Once again, I plunged myself back into my thoughts. What happened today was real. It didn't feel like a dream at all. Why would I randomly pass out on the bench? I would've told someone. On top of that, wouldn't someone have woken me up at least a few minutes later? I kept finding myself fall through the holes in this story. Then there was the guy I confronted. What did he want with me? And who was he going to "put to sleep?" I wish there was an answer to every question I had.

Perhaps I had to seek the truth out myself.

* * *

><p>RESTORATION AT 28%<p>

"Namine, hurry!" Diz said.

* * *

><p>Diz frantically typed away at the keyboard. He had scrutinized every single detail, making sure everything was working. After what happened today, the pressure was starting to build; any moment it could burst and crumble. It didn't take long before Diz finally settled down and sat back in his chair. Next to him was the cloaked man.<p>

"That was dangerously close," Diz said. "The Organization is figuring out ways to avoid immediate detection from the system. Fortunately it was able to act in time. But who knows how long that'll last. "

"I thought you said the system was flawless," the cloaked man said.

Diz snapped at him. "It is! I worked years to perfect it, and seldom has it failed."

"Then by that logic," the man said, "only someone who knows the program as well as you could fiddle around with it."

Silence. That was Diz's response. He soon realized that what he said to Diz was like a wakeup call to reality – words that stung the old man's inner ear. The cloaked man didn't know what Diz was going to say next. Finally, Diz sighed regretfully. The cloaked man placed his hands in his pockets. Diz's had to focus on the present. The only way to do that was to change the subject.

"Well, let's just keep a better eye out."

Diz nodded. "I need you to check up on Namine. Make sure she's getting the job done."

"Understood."

* * *

><p>Far away, in another world, was a dark, depressing city. Whether it was morning, afternoon, or evening, not even a fragment of light broke through the sky. The only form of illumination that lit the city was from neon lights on buildings, and from lights inside windows. Though, given the fact that the streets were completely empty, one had to wonder if anyone resided in the city (and to be honest, who'd want to live somewhere that unsettling?).<p>

But there was one person wandering the streets. He wore the same cloak as the man who was in alliance with Diz. As he walked down the empty streets, he was mumbling to himself.

"Can't believe I let that little pest slip through my fingers," the man said; he spoke like a cheesy surfer dude. "I never fail, and I'm certainly not letting that old mummy have the last laugh."

"Hehehe," another male voice chuckled. "It's funny because he wears red bandages."

The man looked over his shoulder to see someone standing there; he also wore the black cloak.

"Is that anyway to greet your elders?" the first man asked. "Why can't you say hello for a change instead of being smarmy?"

"Well, I always like to make an entrance."

The first man chuckled. "Can't deny that. Is there something I can do for you?"

"No, it's what you can do for the boss. Afraid you've been taken off the case."

Genuine anger came out of the first man's voice. "What? As if! I make one little fluke and the boss throws a hissy fit about it? C'mon! I never mess up!"

"Really? Roxas is nowhere near his full potential. It should've been cakewalk for you. And yet here we are, coming up with a new strategy to capture him. Old age may come with wisdom, but you shouldn't get cocky with it. Commit it to memory."

The man chuckled. "Commit it to memory? That's totally not you."

"Hey, I can't use 'Got it memorized?' all the time. Like to play it up now and then. Anyways, I've convinced the boss to put me on the case. After all, I know that kid better than anyone. Practically had to babysit him for his whole nonexistence."

"And that's going to make a difference how exactly?"

"Because I'm an important part of his life. And I figure that the most important memories are the ones we can recall with ease. Trust me; I've learned that corny philosophy from my time at Castle Oblivion."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"Do what any sensible person would do. Knock him out."

The first cloaked man thought about it for a moment. At first, he was worried about his reputation, but then he remembered that he wasn't able to get worried. Perhaps it was okay for him to relieve his duties.

"Alright, fine. Go rescue your boyfriend. But what am I supposed to do?"

Ignoring the boyfriend insult, the second cloaked man said, "Relax. The boss already assigned you to another world. Some island that has hags on it? He wasn't clear."

"Whatever." The first cloaked man turned around and created a dark portal. "You realize that since you know 'everything' about this kid, there's a lot more pressure on you. Better not screw up."

"I don't intend to."

The first cloaked man went through the portal, leaving the second man behind. He looked down at his fist and clenched it.

"I'm not coming home without you, kid."


	7. Chapter 6

**Day 4**

**Chapter 6: A Girl in White**

The screen started to clear. Sora and his friends were talking to a strange man with long purple hair and a purple moustache. He looked upset with the trio. The three of them took on different forms. They were shorter, stouter, and they had no legs.

"As the key bearer, you must already know that one should not meddle in the affairs of other worlds," the man said sternly.

Brief static filled the screen, transitioning to a round pink creature sucking Sora into his mouth like a vacuum. After spitting Sora out, the creature flashed, and he now had brown spiky hair like the boy. The creature also held the keyblade in his stubby little hand.

"Poyo!" the creature cried.

The scene shifted to what looked like a waiting area. There, a police woman handed medals to Sora and his friends. Standing next to her were two people: a man who wore a white lab coat, and a young man who wore a red and white baseball cap. Riding on the young man's shoulders was a strange looking yellow mouse with red cheeks.

"For saving the Coliseum, we present you with these medals of honor," she said. "And as requested by Professor Oak, you have the right to enter the games. Good job, junior heroes."

There was a quick flash to Luigi, who frowned.

"What does she mean by junior heroes?" Luigi asked.

The man with the lab coat – Professor Oak – said, "You still have a lot to learn about what it takes to be a true hero."

The static cut to Sora and his friends inside of a tree house. Sitting on the bed was a man who wore a green tunic, complete with a green hat, tights, and brown boots. He sadly looked down at the ground. A fairy, whose entire body was concealed by a yellow glow, hovered over the man. The man looked up at the fairy, and smiled.

"We had a deal," the man said. "Ganondorf is beaten. You can go anywhere you want. You're free now. "

The man gently hugged the fairy good-bye. Static took over the touching moment, and the scene changed to a man and woman talking. They both wore jumpsuits; the man wore purple while the woman wore pink. The man in purple hid his identity with a red race car helmet.

The man sighed. "Fine. I was wrong and you were right."

"Hey, don't take it so hard," the woman replied. "I'm sure the next festival will be much better. And maybe next time I'll help out."

Static. The next scene showed Sora spinning his keyblade around, and then stabbing it into the ground. Red glitter came out from the ground and spun around Sora. As the glitter reacheed the back of his neck, it transformed into a giant red bird. Her giant feet landed on Sora's shoulders, who kneeled over from her great weight.

"I am Kazooie," she said. "Wait, that's my only line in this story!"

One and zeroes flashed on screen, and it transitioned to Riku talking to Sora in what appeared to be a giant toy land.

"Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the keyblade?"

Sora was startled. "Riku! What on earth are you doing here?"

There was a brief flash of the girl with red hair.

"Did you find her?" Sora asked.

Another flash of the girl. Afterwards, the scene shifted to Sora looking up at the sky. He was onboard a flying fortress. First there was a bit of sadness in his voice.

"I still can't believe it." Sora looked up and smiled. "I actually flew. It's the most amazing thing I've ever done!"

A brief flash of the girl again. Sora turned to his friends.

"I can't wait to tell Kai—"

Another flash of the red haired girl. The scene cut back to Sora.

"What are the chances she'll believe me?" Sora asked himself. "Probably one in a million."

Static. The next scene showed an orange fox with two tails flying around Sora.

"I'll be your pilot from now on," the fox said.

Sora and his friends were standing inside a coliseum. An intimating man with blonde hair walked by them.

In a voice over, Sora said, "I'm searching, too."

"For your light?" the blonde haired man asked. "Don't lose sight of it."

The scene shifted to Sora back on the island with Yoshi. Sora was getting ready to leave the island. A baby version of Luigi noticed him walking away.

"Sora, where are you going?" Baby Luigi asked. "I wanted to tell you a funny joke."

Sora rubbed his head. "Uh, that's okay. I get enough of that back where I come from. Besides, I need to go find my friends. They're waiting for me."

As the dinosaurs and babies said good-bye, there were more flashes of the girl. The scene shifted to Sora confronting Riku on the flying fortress.

"Where are Luigi and Yoshi?" Sora asked.

"Instead of worrying about them, you should be asking about her," Riku said.

Riku moved away to reveal someone, but rapid flashes of the girl interfered with the image. The next scene showed Sora sealing a keyhole that was located on the sign of a casino. Finally, the image ended on Riku, with his arms crossed, standing in a white room. The red haired girl faded in from the background.

Everything went white.

* * *

><p>In a strange looking room was a giant pod of some sorts. It was shaped like a flower sleeping during the winter. Standing in front of the giant pod was a girl wearing a plain, white laced dress and light blue sandals. She had long blonde hair. Both she and the pod were far off in the distance. Suddenly, everything went black.<p>

* * *

><p>The dreams were getting odder by the minute; now I was seeing a strange girl standing there, with her back facing me. For some reason, she was glowing brightly. She turned around to face me, but I couldn't make out her facial features because of the brightness.<p>

"Who are you?" I asked.

A ring went off and I woke up from my dream. Looking over to my right, I saw my cell phone on the drawer. Picking it up, I saw that Hayner left me a text message. It said: 'meet me the station 4 12. :)'

I rubbed my head. I was still a bit drowsy. I was more concerned about the dreams instead of going to the beach. They wouldn't stop, and now some girl was invading them. To call my situation complicated was an understatement. However, a strange feeling came over me. I didn't know why, but I felt like somebody was in here. Looking to my right, I saw the most horrific thing in the world: a messy room. Nah, nobody was there, but I couldn't shake the feeling that somebody was watching me. Was I being paranoid? Perhaps a little bit. But I was drowsy, so any of us could think like that for a moment. Over time, though, the feeling of being watched didn't diminish.

Maybe a trip to the beach wasn't a bad idea.

With time to spare, I headed over to Tram Common to do some shopping. Figured I'll need some supplies for the beach. As I turned the corner on Station Heights, I saw Hayner and Olette.

"Hey," I called to them.

"Morning," Olette said.

Just then, they stopped dead in their tracks. They were frozen like statues.

"Huh?"

I shook my head and smacked my cheeks. Was I dreaming still? I hoped. Looking back up, they were still frozen. I even saw Olette's right foot about to step down. I hurried over to see what happened when 'she' appeared out of nowhere, right in my path. It was her! The girl in white! It was like she jumped right out of my dreams.

She smiled at me. "Hello, Roxas."

"Um, hi." How else do I respond to that?

I noticed she was looking around suspiciously. Compared to the other sketchy people I've met, she seemed friendly? Would you really trust the only other person in your town who wasn't frozen?

"And you are…?"

She put her hand out to stop me.

Clasping her hands together, she said, "I wanted to meet you at least once."

"Me?"

She nodded.

"Um, thanks, I guess. But what's going—"

Suddenly, like computer lag in a video game, she instantly reappeared behind Pence and Olette, and was already walking away.

"Wait!"

I chased after her, but when I got to Pence and Olette, they started moving again. And I ended up running into them. We all fell down as a result.

Pence grunted. "Looks like somebody's excited to see us."

"Sorry, guys," I said. "I got distracted for a second."

We all stood up.

"Are you guys alright?" I asked.

Olette and Pence looked at me funny.

"Of course," Olette said. "It wasn't THAT big of deal."

"You say it like we were hit by a truck or something."

"Well, it was really dumb of me," I said. "Sorry if I came across like a worried wart."

"No problem," Pence said. "Besides, Olette dragged me along to go shopping."

"You want to come along?" Olette asked.

Confusion once again took over my brain. I guess it should've come as no surprise that they didn't see the girl.

"Um, didn't you see that…." I said.

My mind was focused on the girl. Everything else was channeled out. I looked down the path, trying to understand what was going on.

I heard Pence in the background. "He's stalling…"

Olette giggled. "Very well, then."

I turned back to Olette, remaining silent.

"We'll see you later, Roxas, okay?"

As they ran off, I said, "Y-yeah."

Turning back to the path, I wondered where the girl went. From what it looked like, she was heading towards the old mansion. Should I follow? I still had no answers, and once again I was putting myself in danger. Did I really have a choice? I just couldn't stand all of the weirdness anymore. Taking a deep breath, I followed the girl to the mansion.

* * *

><p>When I arrived in the woods near the mansion, I looked around. No one in sight. Next stop was the mansion. I planned to put an end to this mystery right now, and no one was going to stop me: not my family, my friends, Seifer, and the hooded guys. As I took a step forward, I was stopped by a giant dark portal.<p>

"Huh?"

I stood my ground. Out of the portal came three of the guys in white. They were trying to corner me like vicious wolves. Before I could react, another one appeared from above; somehow the creature was walking upside down on nothing but thin air. If Newton was alive, I'm sure he'd get a kick out of that. The white creature grabbed my right arm.

"Lemme go!"

I swung my left fist and knocked its arm away. I ran like a maniac back to town. I'm sure I could put up with the dreams for one more day.

* * *

><p>As I ran across the bridge, I looked over my shoulder to see them still chasing me. What did they want with me? Pence was right; the thief did want to steal me. And he brought friends. The chase ended up at the Sandlot. I ran by Seifer and his gang, who were looking at me in confusion.<p>

"Hey, chicken wuss!"

Like I was going to stop for Seifer.

I heard Rai say, "I think he's ignoring you, y'know?"

"Oh, really? Seifer asked sarcastically. "And here I thought he was silently saying hello."

"He can do that?" Rai asked.

"Moron," Fuu said.

I came to a halt when more white creatures appeared at the exit. I ran the other way towards Seifer's group. Again, I was forced to stop when I saw the white creatures.

"Who's that?" Fuu asked.

"I don't know," Seifer said with a serious tone in his voice, "but they've already crossed the line."

By just appearing? Man did Seifer have poor reasoning. But, hey, it was a good enough reason to help me out. I won't complain.

"Find a weapon!" Seifer said.

I held my hand out and started shaking it. I was hoping the keyblade would bail me out. Unfortunately, I wasn't getting anything.

"C'mon, c'mon," I mumbled. "You've appeared before when I'm in danger."

One of the creatures swung its claws right at me. I rolled out of the way and quickly picked up a Struggle sword. Will have to do, I thought. I put the sword up to block their incoming attacks. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't push them back. I rolled to my right to move out of their way. When I stood up, one of the creatures tried to swipe at me, but I leaped onto the bench and ran across it. Another creature appeared beside the bench and swung its claws at my feet; I hopped over the attack. Upon reaching the edge, I leaped onto the next bench.

Another creature tried to trip me again, but this time I kicked its claws away, which forced it to turn until its back was facing me. I leaped off of the bench and tried to knock it over the head. Like last time, the attack went right through it. I tried to grab the creature, but it managed to get behind me; it was so fast. Then it got me into a tight bear hug.

"Get off!" I shouted.

I twisted and turned, but the creature's grip was too strong. Looking over my shoulder, I saw another one slither towards me. When it got closer, it raised its claw. I turned around and the creature cut through the one wrapped around my back. I spun around and kicked the other creature away. I tried to make a break for it, but one of the creatures rammed its head into mine. I yelped from the pain. I felt another one hit me in the back, knocking me over. I turned over and sat up, noticing Seifer and his gang weren't doing well either. They were surrounded by three of the creatures.

I got to my feet. "Not good…"

Suddenly, I noticed something odd about Seifer and his gang. Like with Pence and Olette, they were frozen solid. I think the creatures knew this, too, as they turned their attention to me. Great! All alone again! Was this my fate? So far I've been facing this dilemma on my own, and this was probably how I'd die: alone. There were no other options. I really got myself into trouble this time.

Then I heard a familiar female voice from above. "Roxas! Use the keyblade!"

I looked up at one of the buildings to see the girl in white looking down at me. She gasped and pointed towards me.

"Look out!" she cried.

I looked down to see the creatures flying right at me. It's over, I thought. I braced myself for the end. I closed my eyes. After a few seconds, nothing happened. Now what? I opened my eyes to see that I was no longer in Twilight Town. Or anywhere for that matter. I was in some world completely surrounded by darkness. Surprisingly, there was light here. Looking down at my feet, I noticed I was on some kind of platform. Walking around it, I noticed it was a mural. The paintings I saw on the mural startled me; they were of Sora, Riku, Luigi, Yoshi, and the girl with red hair – the ones from my dreams.

What was this place, and how did it connect with my dreams? Strangely, I felt like I've been here before. Can't put my finger on why. However, my main concern was finding a way out of this place.

"Hello! Anybody out there!"

The only response I got was my echo. How'd I get here? Maybe those things did kill me, and this was heaven? I felt like I was alive. It couldn't be. I wandered around for a bit in hopes of finding a way out. No luck. Guess I needed to let whoever brought me here make the first move. Without a doubt, this was the strangest day so far, and I hoped it ended with me safely home in bed.

As if things couldn't get worse, the creatures from before started to appear. I looked around. Only three of them were present. Could've been worse. I prepared to defend myself when the keyblade FINALLY appeared in my hand. I grinned; with all the bad stuff that's been happening, it was nice to have something go your way for a change.

"Oh, it is SO on now!"

I swung the keyblade at the creature in front of me, but it leaped back. It flew at me and tried to ram its head into me. I swung the keyblade up and knocked it into the air. I leaped into the air after it. I was amazed by how high I could jump. This keyblade did more than fight off those creatures. When I caught up with the creature, I slashed right through it, and it vanished right into dust.

After landing, I turned to face the other two. The one on the right swung its claws at me, but I brought my blade in to intercept it. I quickly moved left and kicked the other one's lower leg, stunning it for the moment. I went right again, brought the keyblade in low, and slashed it across the creature's stomach. It wasn't dead yet, so I brought the keyblade down to finish it off. The creature on the left tried to attack, but I elbowed it in the stomach and then punched it with the handle of the keyblade (which I held with my right hand).

The creature fell over, and when I went to finish it, two more creatures leaped in front of me.

"You want some too?"

I swung at both of them, but they managed to stretch their bodies back. They then flew by each side of me, slashing right at my ribs. Before I could react, the third creature rammed its head into my mine. As I stumbled backwards, the other two grabbed each of my arms. The third one slithered right towards me. Thinking quickly, I leaped up and slammed both of my feet on the creatures' feet. They instantly released me, and I dove onto my stomach to avoid the third one. I rolled onto my back and slashed the other two away.

I got onto my feet and ran right at the three. The first one swung at me, but I ducked underneath it. I ran to the second one, and when it attempted to swipe at me, I swung my blade at its claw; the force was strong enough to knock it aside. I turned around and, while holding it with one hand, I brought the keyblade up to block both claws. I pushed the creature back, turned around and thrust the blade at the first one. The creature used its right arm to knock the blade down, and then it swung at me with its left.

I stepped back to avoid the attack. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the other two swinging their arms right at my head. I stepped back again and ducked underneath their arms. Both turned around to face me. The one on the right attacked, and I placed both hands on each end of the keyblade as I brought it up to block. I instantly swung it the other way to block the left one. As I moved towards the right creature, it tried to trip me, but I moved my right foot up.

Moving towards the left one again, I kicked it away. Turning back to the right, I swung my blade and knocked its claw away. I turned back to the left one and tried to stab it in the chest. It brought both of its claws together to catch my blade. I spun my arm around like a corkscrew until it released its grip, and then I horizontally slashed right through it. I knew that killed the creature because it made a distinct 'splash' sound effect. I leaped and turned around, bringing my blade down on the other one, killing it off too.

I turned to the last one and ran for it. I threw my keyblade at it, but it side stepped. However, that's what I wanted it to do. As I was close to it, I performed the sliding move I did the other day. Strange, these moves were coming to me naturally. I didn't know why. After getting behind the creature, I finished it off. I stood ready for another wave, but none came. Sighing, I lay on the floor, tired from the fighting.

The keyblade was awesome. It granted me powers I've never dreamed of. And all of the abilities I use seemed second nature. How was that possible? Yet another frustrating question I had to pursue. But first, I had to find a way out of here. A flash of light filled my vision for a moment. The flash seemed to be coming from the right side. Sitting up, I looked to see what the flash was. All I saw was a purple door. It was very fancy looking; it looked like one of those doors you'd see at a Cathedral.

I might not know what was behind there, but it was a step in the right direction for getting outta here. As I stood up, I heard a voice.

"Be careful. Beyond that door lies a completely different world. But don't be afraid."

"Hello! Who said that?"

No response. Don't tell me I'm starting to hear things now. Am I going crazy? I waited for few seconds. Still no answer. I shrugged. I walked to the door, only to hear the voice again.

"Don't stop walking."

I stopped again and looked around. Nobody there. Being alone here probably wasn't good for me. Need to get out of here! I ran for the door and opened it. A blinding light was inside, but I kept moving forward. When the light dimmed, I noticed I was in the same room again. I looked around for another door – not one in sight. I looked over my shoulder to see that the door I came out of was gone. So much for making progress, I thought.

I walked to the center of the room. I didn't like the cold, dead silence one bit. I'd take any sort of noise. Even hearing Pence sing would fill my ears with satisfaction. Someone could go crazy here. Already I was hearing voices. Hang in there! Don't let your sanity slip. Think positively. Unfortunately, paranoia came back with a vengeance; somebody was behind me. I quickly spun around. Someone – no, something was definitely there. It started coming out of the ground. First I saw – I think – four blue tentacles. It was followed by a giant version of the white creatures I faced. This one, however, had a bulky build.

My mouth dropped upon seeing the creature get bigger and bigger. I was nothing more than an insect to this behemoth. Naturally, I ran for my life, but I came to a stop when I reached the ledge. Cornered. I turned to face the creature. Let's be realistic: I'd be crushed like a twig. But I have to fight. At least I had the keyblade as a trump card.

The creature stuck outs its giant hand, and I suddenly couldn't move. Glowing balls of energy were on my wrists and lower legs. The creature lifted his hand, causing me to fly up to his eye level. My arms and legs were completely stretched out. The giant slithered up to me and stared at me for a moment. I struggled to break free, but his magic held me in place. However, I was able to loosen my left arm a little bit. When the monster tried to punch me, I used all of my strength to flip over the attack. As I became right side up, I nailed him on the head with the keyblade, knocking him off the platform.

Unfortunately, he was able to float. He spun around and came right at me like Superman flying. I pushed my body back to avoid getting hit. I was now upside-down. The monster turned around, stretched its arms out and grabbed me. Upon doing so, it pulled its body towards mine. I struggled again, but, of course, there was no way to break the grip. It placed me in its right hand and launched me into the air like a catapult. I started falling right back towards him.

Big mistake.

When I got close enough, I slammed the keyblade over his head. The force from the attack bounced me over him, and I landed on the ground. Quickly turning around, I saw his body slide off the platform. I ran to the edge; he was gone. I looked over my shoulder, thinking he was going to try a sneak attack. Wasn't there. What was he up to? There's no way I beat him already.

Suddenly, I heard a loud rumble, which was accompanied by the platform starting to tilt. My suspicion was correct. The platform started tilting faster. I lunged for the edge, but I missed and slid down. Before I went past the edge, I stabbed the keyblade into the platform. Thankfully it stuck; I was hanging on for dear life. Sweat was pouring down my forehead. Looking down, I saw the monster holding a giant ball of energy over his head. Talk about extreme measures.

There had to be a way to stop that attack. It was impossible to avoid the energy ball. There was only one thing I could do. The monster pushed off of the side of the platform, and I fell off, screaming for my life. The whole room started spinning around, and I noticed that the platform was now below me. The monster prepared to throw the ball. My next move was risky, but there was no other choice. Here goes, I thought.

I threw the keyblade into the energy ball and it promptly exploded, knocking both of us towards the ground. If I hit the ground, it was over. Fortunately, I was falling straight towards the edge. Upon going past the edge, I stuck the keyblade into the side of it and came to a stop. I felt the force of the monster hit the ground, but I held onto the keyblade with all my might. I sighed with relief when the earthquake stopped. I pulled myself up and got back onto the ledge. The keyblade magically reappeared in my hand.

The monster was lying on its stomach, completely dazed. Wasting no time, I attacked the monster's head with a flurry of attacks. It wasn't long before he quickly stood up. Man, for a giant, this creature was fast! The creature spun upside down, all the while swinging its arm at me. I jumped high to avoid getting hit. When the monster stood right side up, it stuck its glove shaped hand at me and fired, I think, thorns. It was hard to tell. I hopped back to avoid two and swung the keyblade to deflect a few more.

"That all ya got!"

The creature leaped into the air and flew towards the ground, preparing to crush me with its head.

"Guess not!" I dove out of the way before his head hit the ground.

The monster, while staying upside down, stretched out its arms and legs; it then stuck its hands and legs into the ground. I had no idea what it was doing. Not going to stand around to find out. As I ran towards the monster, two new creatures appeared in front of me. Describing them was hard. They were little creatures that just had legs and a pelvis.

I easily slashed both away. Turning to my right, two more "waddled" towards me very slowly. Maybe these guys weren't so tough. I slashed through one, but when I turned to face the other one, it turned into a ball and tackled me to the ground.

Okay, they were a little tougher than I thought.

I pushed the little creature off of me and finished it off with a slash. As I hurried towards the monster's head, I dodged and slashed through more of the thorns. At one point, I felt one pierce through my skin. I winced from the pain, but I kept going. Finally, I started attacking the monster's head again. It quickly got to its feet and threw a punch at me. I leaped over it and ran up his arm. Leaping off his arm, I went straight for the head. The creature put the palm side of his other hand to block. The force pushed me back onto the ground, right near his feet. He tried to stomp, but I did a huge leap back to avoid it.

The monster put his hand out and fired four thorns, which wrapped around my arms and legs. I immediately fell to the ground. I stood up and tried to move my limbs, but the thorns were far too strong.

"Didn't…know…you were into…such kinky things…" I said while struggling.

The creature lifted me off the ground and slammed me back into it. My chest felt the full force of that one! Guess he couldn't take a joke. He started to pull me up again, but I used whatever strength I had to stab the keyblade into the ground. I held on for dear life as he attempted to pull me up. Already I felt like my body was going to come apart as easily as celery. I had to wait for the right moment to pull off my next attack. I could tell that his next swing was going to be a hard one. When he lifted his arm up, I released my grip and flew into the air. I threw the keyblade at his face, and it impaled the monster's chin.

As he roared with agony, I landed on the ground and ran right for him. At the last possible minute, I jumped, called the keyblade to my hand, and slashed right down the middle of his chest. The attack caused him to stumble backwards, and he fell off the ledge again. But this time he grabbed onto the ledge and started pulling it down slowly. I ran as far as I could to the other side. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the monster lift its head and fire more thorns at me. As I started sliding towards him, I did what I could to block the thorns with the keyblade. With my feet losing traction, it was hard to concentrate. He started putting more of his body onto the ledge; to the point where I could barely stand up.

An idea hit me. I jumped onto my butt and slid down the platform, pointing the keyblade right at the creature's face.

"Here's keyblade in your eye!"

I stabbed the monster in the face, causing it to roar in pain again. It released its grip and fell off of the edge. The monster's roar echoed as it fell through a bottomless put. I exhaled; for the moment I thought I was safe, but soon I heard the monster's roaring get louder and louder. I looked above; he was falling right towards me. I leaped out of the way, just narrowly avoiding him. I spun around to see the creature vanish in a sea of darkness; and that darkness started to cover the whole area. I tried standing up, but like quicksand, the darkness was pulling me in. Like quicksand, struggling did nothing; it made sink quicker.

I couldn't breathe; the foul taste of darkness was in my mouth. Even my vision was covered by the darkness. All hope seemed lost. This was how it ended for me. Suddenly I felt someone grab my hand, and a powerful light covered the entire area.

* * *

><p>Moments later, I felt my feet touch the ground. As I opened my eyes, I saw that I was in a white room.<p>

Sitting above a ledge was the girl in white, looking at me. I assumed she was the one who saved me. I may not know her, but I was grateful. However, it was back to the matter at hand. So many questions I wanted answered. Would she be the one to tell me what's going on? I had to know!

I started to speak, but the girl hushed me.

"My name is Namine," she said.

Namine. Another name I recognized. But compared to the other characters from my dreams, I could barely remember it – almost like it was fading away from my brain.

"Namine," I said, keeping my voice down. "Thanks for saving me."

Namine hopped off of the ledge and walked towards me.

"You're welcome," she said. "That's what friends do after all."

She smiled at me, and I smiled back. There was something in her eyes that said trustworthy. I felt a bit better knowing that I wasn't alone in this entire mess. Namine lightly giggled.

"Here's keyblade in your eye?"

I rubbed my head. "I thought no one would hear that. I get a bit excited some times. That's between us, okay?"

She giggled again. "Okay. Roxas, I enjoy being with you. I wish we could do it more often."

"Whataya mean?"

She sighed. "I know you have so many questions. Like about the dreams. Or how I know you. I will answer them in due time. But first, there's something I must ask you. Do you remember your true name?"

My true name? Was this a trick question? How exactly do I go about answering that? Obviously there was a deeper meaning, but answering was like taking a test for a class you weren't in: you didn't know what was going on. I thought about her words for a moment; but our conversation was interrupted when an arm grabbed Namine. I gasped upon seeing who grabbed her. It was the hooded man. Which one, I wasn't sure.

"Say no more, Namine," he said with his deep, serious voice.

"But if no one tells him, Roxas will…"

"It's best he doesn't know the truth."

"Hey!" I shouted. "You're that pickpocket! You and your surfer pal have caused so much trouble!"

"You'd best not get involved," the man said. "I don't want things to get rough."

"Don't want things to get rough?" I was beyond furious. "Things HAVE been rough for me because of you! In fact, I bet you're the mastermind behind this whole…whatever it is you're doing. Guess what, buddy? I'm not going to let you walk into my town and ruin my life! I'm putting an end to this now!"

"Roxas, don't!" Namine cried.

I summoned the keyblade and ran at him. The man pushed Namine out of the way. I didn't care that he pushed Namine aside like that. I was too mad to think straight. I hated this guy with a passion. I couldn't wait to shut him up. I held the keyblade in a reverse style, with the blade pointing towards the back. I jumped at him and swung the blade, but he vanished. After I landed, I felt a quick but powerful blow to the back of my head. Soon, I started to lose consciousness. Everything was getting blurry. I could barely maintain balance. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but the damage was done.

As everything went black, I heard Namine say, "I'm sorry, Roxas."

* * *

><p>Consciousness was starting to return. I felt movement in my body, and unfortunately, the first sound I heard was Rai's voice.<p>

"Seifer, strike a pose, y'know?"

I shook my head.

"How's this?" Seifer asked. "I call it: 'Nerds groveling before my awesomeness.'"

I lifted my chest off of the ground.

"Totally perfect, y'know?"

I looked up to see Seifer standing in front of me. His buddies were on the other side. Fuu was taking pictures. Great. As if my day couldn't get any worse.

"How 'bout one more, y'know?"

Seifer laughed. "One more? With more film we could do this all day."

I angrily stood up. Not only was that humiliating, but I was still upset with everything that's been going on.

"What was that for?" I asked in rage.

"Keepsake," Fuu said.

"Those freaks in the white jumpsuits are gone, y'know?"

"Cakewalk."

That's not what I remembered. I took a moment to catch my breath from all the craziness.

After I calmed myself down, I asked Seifer, "What were those things?"

"Outsiders, that's what," Seifer said.

I shook my head. I don't know why asking Seifer was a good idea.

"And if they don't wise up to the rules around here, I might have to take 'disciplinary measures,'" he continued.

"Oh yeah. Seifer's always lookin' after the town, y'know?"

Yeah. About as well as the cops from _Superbad _would. I decided to leave before a fight broke out between me and those idiots. When I turned to leave, I saw Hayner and the others standing at the exit. My body froze; I had completely forgotten about the beach. I was in trouble now. My anger was now replaced with guilt. I didn't want to lose my friends over this. It wasn't my fault. But who'd believe me? I noticed a huff coming out of Hayner's mouth, and he, along with the others, headed for the Usual Spot.

"Wait!" I said. "It's not what you think!"

As I chased after them, I heard Seifer say, "Hey! No chickening out of the tournament tomorrow!"

"We'll be waitin', y'know?"

* * *

><p>I stood outside the Usual Spot, playing out in my head what I was going to say. I hated conflicts; that's why I usually tried to remain quiet. But today there was no escaping. Pence and Olette would probably understand, but Hayner – not as much. And to add insult to injury, I hung out with Seifer, the guy he despised the most.<p>

It was painful to think about. I didn't want to lose Hayner as a friend. He's been like a brother to me. Losing someone so close would just kill me. And if Hayner and I aren't on speaking terms, what'd be the point of coming to the Usual Spot – my second home. Sighing, I opened the curtains, feeling like an actor who was about to make his final performance on stage.

I walked in, noticing that they were sitting down, eating ice cream. It appears that I dragged in uncomfortable silence; not a word was exchanged between us. Pence was the one who ended up breaking the mold.

"Soooo," Pence said. He paused before saying, "You hung out with Seifer's gang today?"

"N-no," I said. "Why would I? You know I can't stand the sight of him."

"True," Pence said.

There was another long silence. I tried to change the subject.

"Oh! How was the beach? Wasn't that today?"

"We didn't go," Olette said. "It wouldn't be the same without you."

"Guys…I'm really sorry…" I said. "I..didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Roxas…" Olette said softly.

"Hey, I'll make it up to you!" I said energetically. "We can go tomorrow! It'll be on me! I'll get the tickets, and some pretzels…"

Hayner interrupted me. I heard bitterness in his voice. "Can't. I promised I'd be somewhere tomorrow."

I didn't understand what he meant for the first few seconds. Then it hit me: the semi-finals were tomorrow. I winced – nice going, short term memory! You blew it again! I felt like I was punching myself in the stomach. Each hit became harder. Hayner stood up from his seat.

With a bit of spite, he said, "I'm outta here."

We watched in silence as Hayner left the Usual Spot. I tried to go after him, but I felt someone grab my shoulder. I looked behind me to see that it was Pence. He shook his head. There was a sincere look in his eyes. I wanted to go deal with the problem; if I didn't, Hayner would think that I didn't care enough. There was no point in trying tomorrow. However, both Olette and Pence told me to let it go for now. I put my head down and sighed. Things weren't going to get better anytime soon.

* * *

><p>I walked home thinking about the results of my actions. Would he never speak to me again? That would mean no more fun times at the Usual Spot. Would it affect my relationship with Pence and Olette? At the same time, I was thinking about Namine and the other weird things going on. The thoughts were hovering around me like annoying fruit flies. It wouldn't end. When I arrived at Station Heights, I saw K.K. sitting on the rail, his "Usual Spot."<p>

Upon noticing me, he said, "Hey, my main man, Roxas. How're ya doin'?"

"I'm fine," I said sadly.

"Don't sound like you're fine," K.K. said. "And you don't look like it either. Was today a real bummer?"

"You could say that."

"You wanna talk about it? These floppy ears ain't just for show."

I placed my hands in my pockets. "I…really don't want to."

"Roxas, for as long as I've known you, you've always kept things to yourself. That doesn't exactly fly with me. It ain't healthy, especially for a growin' boy."

"It's…complicated. There are so many other things going on. And half of which you wouldn't believe."

"Oh no? Try me."

I dug my hands into my pockets further. "I…don't know."

"That uncomfortable, huh?" K.K. tapped the edge of his guitar. "Okay, here's an idea: why don't you tell me what's going on, little by little. We'll work our way up. You don't have to tell me everything tonight."

I walked over to K.K. and stopped. I took a deep breath; I've never done this before. I didn't know what to expect. K.K. was a humble dog, so I knew he'd understand. I had to push myself. I decided to start with the only realistic problem I could think of: Hayner's grudge towards me. I told K.K. about the beach, running into Seifer's gang, and the promise I made with Hayner.

"I wanted to talk to him right there, but Olette and Pence told me not to. Now he'll think I don't care enough. I'm worried that our friendship is going to end."

K.K. laughed. "You're thinkin' too extreme. Of course Hayner's still your friend. You really think one little incident is going to end it all? Pence and Olette were right to stop you. Hayner needs his space. That way he'll be thinking clearly, and maybe he'll realize that it wasn't a big deal. If he doesn't say something tomorrow, then you bring it up. Don't wait. Act."

"Are you sure that's what I have to do?"

"Absolutely. We all need to blow off steam sometimes. Take it from old K.K.; I've been around town long enough to know how people act."

I smiled. I felt a little better. "Thanks, K.K. I'll give it a shot."

"No problem," K.K. said. "And when you feel ready, come back and we'll talk some more."

I nodded. K.K. then put his paw on my shoulder. I don't know why, but there was a look in his eyes that said, 'I feel bad for you,' or something.

"Please take care of yourself, okay?" K.K. asked.

"Uh, sure thing."

K.K. hopped off of the rail and left for Tram Common. K.K. was right. I had to give Hayner his space. I felt better, but there were still the creatures in white to worry about. Not to mention Namine. I wondered if she was okay.

* * *

><p>RESTORATION AT 48%<p>

* * *

><p>DIZ was doing what he could to hold back his anger. Namine had tried to complicate things by interacting with Roxas. DIZ did not like setbacks in his plans. He was like a neatfreak – if even a minute detail was off, he'd get flustered. The hooded man stood behind him.<p>

"Was that Namine made of data?"

"No," DIZ said. "Namine hijacked the data herself. Look what she's done now! She's totally beyond my control!"

Diz slammed his fist into the side keyboard.

"Calm down," the cloaked man said.

DIZ sighed. "My apologizes. When I began this process, I was expecting no interference."

"We will finish it."

"Yes," DIZ said. "As long as Namine accomplishes her goal we needn't worry about what befalls Roxas."

With that said, the two continued to monitor the computer, hoping to accomplish their goal uninterrupted.


	8. Chapter 7

**Day 5**

**Chapter 7: A Struggle between Friends**

The screen faded in the image. Sora was flying towards a bright light. A flicker transitioned to a scene of Sora floating in a library. He reached out his hand towards someone. The scene cut to his point of view, showing the back of the red haired girl (who was much younger looking now). There was a brief flash of the girl looking at the camera, and then the scene changed to Sora running over to the girl, who was lying on the floor unconscious.

The scene changed to Sora trying desperately to hold onto his keyblade, as Riku called it to his hand. Sora, Riku, Yoshi and Luigi were in some blue mountain area, where waterfalls beat gravity senselessly over the head by traveling upwards.

"It's up to me," Riku said. "Only the keyblade master can open the secret door and change the world."

A flash of the girl again – it transitioned to Sora helping the girl up. The scene changed to Riku, who was wearing a dark outfit, firing an energy ball at Sora. A giant egg with green spots intercepted the attack, and after more static, Yoshi jumped right in front of Sora.

In a voice over, Yoshi said, "Yoshi never betray Sora either, because Sora and Yoshi best friends forever!"

Luigi joined Sora and Yoshi.

"All for one and one for all!" Luigi said.

The scene flicked a few times as the keyblade rightfully returned to Sora's hand.

"My friends are my power!" Sora cried; it was said in a voiceover.

The scene changed to Sora shaking the girl, in hopes of waking her up. There was another brief cut of the girl looking at the screen. The scene changed to an adult fox, who wore a space uniform of some kind, talking to Sora.

The fox smiled. "The real winner of this fight was your heart, wasn't it?"

Sora smiled and nodded. The scene changed to a mysterious man wearing a cloak passing through Sora, which caused the boy to fall over. He turned to face the man.

"Ah, it seems you are special, too," the man said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked.

The man fired a blue energy ball at Sora. The boy pushed against the attack for as long as he could. Finally, he knocked it into the air, and it exploded moments later. Sora and the man stared each other down.

"Allow me to test your power," the man said.

The scene changed to Riku wearing the dark suit again. This time he had a dark keyblade in his hand. Also, he was speaking with two voices. Sora was on his hands and knees.

"It is I, Ansem." The scene shifted to Riku preparing to strike Sora. "Lead me into everlasting darkness!"

Sora heard the girl's voice shout his name, and he put his keyblade up to block.

"Forget it!" Sora said. "You want Kairi's heart? You gotta take it from me through sheer force!"

Kairi flashed across the screen again. Afterwards, ones and zeroes took over the screen for a moment. The scene shifted to Luigi and Yoshi trying to stop Sora from stabbing himself with the dark keyblade. With a grin – treating the whole situation as no big deal – Sora stabbed himself, freeing Kairi's heart. The red haired girl woke up and tried to catch Sora in her arms. But Sora immediately disappeared.

The scene shifted to Kairi hugging a heartless as others tackled them. Luigi and Yoshi turned around to see a light repel the creatures. Inside of the light, Kairi embraced Sora.

"Kairi," Sora said softly. "Thank you."

The scene shifted to Kairi smiling at the screen, and then it changed to the brown haired man with the leather jacket, and the woman wearing the pink dress.

"We may never meet again," the man said, "but we'll never forget each other."

"No matter where we are, our hearts will bring us together again," the woman said.

The scene changed to Sora and Kairi on a beach. Kairi handed Sora a star shaped pendant.

"Take this. It's my lucky charm," Kairi said, "so don't let anyone have it. And you have to bring it back to me, okay?"

"Don't worry," Sora said. "I will."

Kairi smiled. "Promise."

The scene shifted to Sora sealing a strange glowing heart.

"Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you."

The final scene showed Sora and Kairi leaning in to kiss. Before they could, everything went white.

* * *

><p>Kairi. So that's her name. Those were my first thoughts after opening my eyes. However, my dreams were the least of my problems at this point; reality had become a complete train wreck. I glanced to my right; I don't know why I kept feeling like someone was there. I use to feel safe in this town (and no, it wasn't because of Seifer), but now I was watching over my own shoulder, wondering if someone was after me. Would things ever be normal again?<p>

As I sat up, I remembered the promise Sora and Kairi made; it reminded me of my own promise to Hayner (sans the part where Sora and Kairi were going to kiss).

"Right…. 'Promise'…"

I swung my arm, pretending to use a sword. I was trying to pump myself up for the Struggle, but when your friend is holding a grudge towards you, it's kinda hard to get excited.

I rubbed my head. "What a mess…"

I glanced at my clock. Time to get movin'.

* * *

><p>I headed for Market Street as fast as I could. On the way, I ran into Biggs.<p>

"There you are," he said. "I thought you'd never get here. The Struggle starts in twenty. Good luck out there, man."

I nodded. "Thanks."

I ran down the stairs that led towards the Sandlot. When I got there, it was already set up. Crowds were starting to come in. The vendors from the other day were back, including Baking Mama. She waved to me and I waved back. Making my way through, I kept my eye out for Hayner. I was hoping to patch things up with him. But he was nowhere to be seen. I did see Saki, though.

"Hey, Roxas, good luck!" Saki said.

I waved in responds and continued my hunt for Hayner. Oddly enough, I didn't see K.K.. Maybe he was making some rounds before he came. Eventually, I ran into Pence and Olette.

"Roxas, there you are!" Olette said. "I was just about to call you."

I rubbed my head. "Sorry I'm late. Had trouble sleeping last night. But I'm ready to go."

"Just try not to fall asleep again," Pence said jokingly.

"Say, do you know where Hayner is?" I asked.

"We were talking to him a minute ago," Pence said. "He went off to get ready. Needs to warm up and stuff."

"Oh," I said disappointingly.

"Listen, try not to worry about Hayner right now," Olette said. "When the time comes, you'll get a chance to talk with him."

Pence grinned. "And maybe you'll do it while beating the ever-loving snot out of each other."

I lightly smiled. I felt a bit better from what Pence said. Remembering what K.K. told me, I just had to act.

"Don't get too rough with that blonde punk," a familiar voice said. "You need enough energy if you want to last even a minute with me."

Ah, Seifer and his yes men. Perfect timing.

"That's right," Rai said. "Seifer's going to bring home the gold, y'know?"

"Unbeatable," Fuu added.

"No one is going to get in my way," Seifer said. He turned to Vivi. "Not even this little twerp."

He threw a fake punch at Vivi, who didn't even flinch. And to top it off, he turned and walked away without saying a word. That was so not Vivi, I couldn't even tell you. I was expecting Vivi to run away, screaming like a girl. Even Seifer seemed freaked out by that. Of course, he tried not to show it.

And how does Rai respond to that? "I think he's ignoring you, y'know?"

"Now don't start that again," Seifer said.

"Weird," Fuu said.

"Forget him," Seifer said. "I gotta get ready for my victory speech."

Seifer looked at me.

"I got one especially planned for you," he continued.

"Oh, thanks," I said. "I feel privileged."

"Would all Struggle combatants please report to the sign-in area?" Biggs announced.

"Go get 'em, Roxas," Pence said. "I know you and Hayner can do it!"

"Bring the prize home!" Olette said.

I said good-bye to everyone, and Seifer and I headed over to the sign it desk. That whole thing with Vivi was odd, but it wasn't my problem. Hayner was. After signing in, Biggs sent us to corners of the arena. I saw Hayner when I got there. I wanted to say something, but the producer spoke up first.

"Welcome back, Struggle-fiends of Twilight Town," the producer said. "The other day we had sizzlin' action that was hotter than this summer's day. And coming out of the heat were four tough competitors. Today they're competing for the title match! Who will be the one to break through the ranks and take on our champion, Setzer!"

"Seifer, y'know?"

"And who will leave today as our new Struggle Champion!"

I heard Pence and Olette shout, "Hayner! Roxas!"

The cheers soon turned into fangirls screaming, "Setzerrrrrr!"

Sure enough, Setzer walked on stage, waving to his fans. Resting on his right shoulder was the Championship Belt. I would love to take the title away from that pretentious snob. I had to go through Seifer and Hayner first (there was no way Vivi was going to last five seconds).

"Yes, the crowd is fired up," the producer said, "so you know what comes next: Let's...

"STRUGGLE!" everyone shouted.

Fireworks went off. It was Showtime; and it was not just because of the tournament starting. I turned to Hayner, but before I got a chance to say anything, Biggs spoke up. I turned to see he got on stage as the producer walked off.

"Hey, Struggle-maniacs!" he said. "Whadya say we get down to it, and meet our four finalists?"

The audience cheered wildly. There was no way I could talk to Hayner with this much commotion.

"These four bad boys made it through the preliminaries, proving themselves to be the best of the best," Biggs said. "Regular finalist and head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee: Seifer! Completely out of nowhere – who'd of thought this little guy would come so far? Vivi! An underground favorite and local attitude problem: Hayner! It's his first trip to the finals!"

I glanced at Hayner again. When he noticed me, he turned his head away. The grudge was swinging long and hard. And it was worse. At least I thought. Then I started to wonder if I should've acted before? Was K.K. wrong? I heard Biggs introduce me as his favorite customer, but I didn't care. The fear of losing a friend drained the excitement out of the tournament. I turned back to Biggs.

"So – who will win this sweltering summer struggle!" he asked. "Who will take home the grand prize?"

He gestured his hands towards the prize – the one I've been dreaming about. It was a giant blue trophy that had four spirals. Resting on the edge of the spirals was four round crystals: red, yellow, blue, and green. That was why we wanted the prize: to share the crystals. And they were real crystals! I bet they were priceless. I had to win them! Had to fulfill my promise!

"The summa cum laude of Struggle- the Four Crystal Trophy! AND...a chance to take on our defending champion, Setzer!"

Setzer took the belt off his shoulder and held it into the air. The audience cheered wildly again.

"Let's not waste any time," Biggs said. "Time to announce the first match!"

He pulled out a piece of paper and read it.

"And this year's semi-finals are going to be insane!" he said. "We got two newcomers going up against two regulars. First up is Roxas vs. Hayner!"

I sighed. So much for going to the finals together. I turned to Olette and Pence. They looked disappointed too. But, hey, it was a slim chance. We wouldn't let that problem get us down.

"The first battle will be in ten minutes," Biggs announced. "Would the competitors head to the tournament bracket for prepping?"

Both Hayner and I went over to get our gear on. During the time, neither one of us said a word to each other. I guess there was still a sense of defeat in me. Would Hayner really listen to my side of the story? The thoughts continued racing through my mind. After getting in our armor, Biggs went over the rules again. Ten minutes later, we both headed for the ring.

We walked side by side, remaining silent. This was not how I pictured us going into the ring. I expected us to laugh and talk smack, but that was nothing more than a fantasy now. As we walked to the middle, the producer met us there, and handed us our Struggle bats. After giving us friendly pats on the shoulder, he left the ring. The moment I turned to Hayner, he pointed his bat right at me. The audience was already getting fired up.

I kept hearing K.K. say, _"Don't wait. Act," _over and over in my head. I had to give it a shot. Taking a deep breath, I spoke up.

"Hey…Sorry about yesterday."

Hayner lowered his bat, and looked at me like I was crazy. "What, you still worried about that? Like I'd ever think you were being buddy-buddy with Seifer. Get real. You need to learn to let that stuff go."

"I've got a lot on my mind."

"Oh," Hayner said.

It was quiet for a few moments.

"Sorry, man," Hayner said.

I shook my head, indicating that it wasn't a big deal (even though it was to me). Silence filled the ring for a few moments.

Hayner then looked up at me, grinning. "Wait, what am I sorry for?"

My spirits were lifted upon hearing that. Finally, a real smile formed on my lips. Hayner did understand after all. K.K was right; I'm glad I did act.

"Well, maybe you should be sorry that you're facing me," I said.

"Dream on, dude," Hayner said. "I don't care what's on your mind. I'll be knocking it all out of your head."

Perhaps some fantasies can come true. Both of us were fired up.

"C'mon," Hayner said. "One of us has a promise to fulfill."

We both looked out to see Olette and Pence smiling at us. I was glad to see that, despite all that's happened, our friendship did not collapse. Turning back to Hayner, both of us got into our battle positions.

"Our first match of today's Struggle tournament will be between Roxas and his best friend Hayner!" Biggs said. "Time to countdown!"

Everyone shouted, "Three….Two…..One! STRUGGLE!"

Both Hayner and I ran right at each other and brought our blades into a lock. Holding our position for a few moments, we circled around the arena, wondering who was going to make the first movie. Finally, we both released our grip and Hayner swung at me. I spun backwards to avoid it. As Hayner tried to bring his blade down, I swung mine up, with both hands on the handle, to knock it back. I brought my blade down on him, but, while he held the tip with his left hand, brought his up to counter.

Hayner pushed me to the right, and I stumbled in that direction. I quickly turned around, held the handle with my left hand, and swung across to knock his attack back. I then grabbed the handle with both hands and swung the other way; Hayner swung his blade in to block. I tried to thrust, and Hayner intercepted it by bringing his blade straight up (the tip was facing the floor). He brought his up and over, and swung the blade down. I leaped back to avoid the attack. I ran at him and tried to attack. He tilted his blade slightly to block my attack. When I tried to go for the other side of his body, he simply twisted his elbow right, which forced his blade to move into the path of mine's.

I did another thrust, but Hayner moved out of the way. I spun around and brought my blade in diagonally (my left hand held the tip of the blade) and caught an incoming attack. I used all of my weight to push Hayner back. We both stood in our positions, regaining our composure. The crowd went wild.

"Incredible!" Biggs cried. "We're only thirty seconds in, and both competitors are evenly matched! They haven't even lost an orb yet! However, the tides of battle can change at any moment!"

When you end up facing someone you've been training with, you knew it wouldn't be easy. Hayner and I knew each other's moves all too well.

"Not bad, Roxas," Hayner said. "But Biggs is right: this battle is about to be in my favor."

"What? He didn't say—"

Hayner leaped into the air and swung his blade down at me. I did a one handed back flip to dodge it. As I stood up, we both brought our blades in to clash, and then we brought them down to clash. I swung right at Hayner's chest, but he moved it right to dodge it. Then he swung his blade up towards my chest, but I moved back. As he brought his blade straight down, I swung my blade in low and hit him in the stomach. I quickly removed it and swung across his chest, knocking him over, as well as knocking some orbs off of him.

I started collecting some of the orbs, but I made the mistake of getting them too close to Hayner. He sat up and stabbed me right in the stomach, knocking me back. He quickly got to his feet and placed the blade on my shoulder. He pulled the blade straight back and knocked orbs off of me. He tried to go for the other shoulder, but I moved out of the way. Hayner and I grabbed as many orbs as we could. At one point I tried to grab a couple, but Hayner swung his blade between the orbs and I. I turned around and swung my blade to stop Hayner from grabbing them. I turned back, bent over and grabbed the orbs. After grabbing them, I turned to face Hayner, blocking another attack.

I pushed him back and stood up. I twisted backwards to dodge his next attack. When I tried to counter with a thrust, he leaned back with his stomach, knocked my blade down, and then swung across my chest; more orbs came off. Actually, a lot came off this time. I quickly retaliated and knocked a good amount off of him.

"Thirty seconds are left!" Biggs said.

We scrambled to get the orbs. During the time, we crossed paths and swung our blades at each other. We collected all but three of the orbs. And they were right behind me.

The audience counted down, "Ten..nine..eight…seven…"

I ran after the orbs, with Hayner not far behind.

"Six….five…

Only one thing to do. I rolled onto the floor.

"Four…three…"

I grabbed the orbs.

"Two!"

I turned to face Hayner, and both of us thrust at each other

"One!"

A bell went off, ending the match. The tips of our blades lightly tapped an orb on our chest. I noticed a serious look on Hayner's face. Both of us were panting from the workout we got. Suddenly, the seriousness on Hayner's face turned into a smile. I did the same. Out of nowhere, at the exact same time, we started laughing. We lay on the floor, with our arms and legs spread out, still laughing; while the audience cheered.

What else was there to say? Having a good time with your friend through laughter; that's how it was meant to be.

* * *

><p>Biggs came on stage and removed the orbs on Hayner, counting each one. After, he took off my orbs. There was a long pause. Ahhh! The suspense was killing me! Finally, Biggs grabbed my wrist. I instantly knew where this was going.<p>

"And the winner is Roxas!" Biggs announced.

The audience went wild. It was a good feeling. One I rarely experienced. I saw my friends in the audience celebrating by jumping up and down, shouting my name. I waved to the audience.

"Not even friendship will slow this kid down," Biggs said. "And Hayner put up a great fight, too. It was a close race. Hayner was only off by a few orbs!"

Hayner clutched his head. "Aw, man! I can't believe it!"

I turned to Hayner. He looked at me with a smirk.

"I guess I taught you well," Hayner said.

"I had a lot of fun fighting you."

Hayner smiled, but soon it was followed by a frown. He turned away from me and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, well I didn't, wise guy."

I put my hand on his shoulder. "Hey, grumps, why don't we find some way to cheer you up?"

Hayner threw fake punches at me. "Nah, that's all right. I'm already plotting my revenge for next year."

I caught one of his punches. "Whatever you say, bro."

Both of us walked off stage, talking and laughing the entire time. I'm glad things were back to normal. After removing our gear, we went to meet up with our friends. On the way, Hayner almost walked into Seifer, who was all set for his match.

"Outta the way," Seifer said.

"You in a rush to lose?" Hayner asked.

Seifer remained silent. No smarmy comeback, no nothing. He was focused. I've never seen that side of Seifer before. He was staring off at something. I looked to see that it was Vivi, who had just finished putting on his gear. Suddenly, Vivi looked at me, staring intently at me. Why? I have no clue. I could've sworn I heard him giggle at me strangely. Okay, Vivi was not acting like himself.

Both of us left the arena, and we met up with our friends. Even Saki was there.

"You two were awesome," Saki said. "I'm sure Seifer's going to have his work cut out for him when he faces you, Roxas."

"How are you so sure Seifer will be in the finals?" Olette asked.

"Look, I'm not trying to diss Vivi or anything," Saki said, "but the little guy clearly needs to work on his fighting skills. As well as his confidence."

Pence nodded in agreement. "Yeah. He only won his match by accident."

"I know," some guy next to Pence said. "And I caught the whole thing on my phone. I'm gonna edit that clip for the internet. I think I'll call it: 'Vivi falls over while I play unfitting music.'"

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes people do the silliest things.

"Hey, you never know," Olette said. "There might be a chance."

"I agree with Olette," I said.

Hayner looked at me like I was crazy. "Why?"

"There's…something odd about Vivi today," I said.

"Today? Don't you mean every day?" Hayner asked.

Olette elbowed him in the stomach.

"Kidding!" Hayner said defensively.

I turned back to the stage to see Seifer and Vivi walking onto it. The producer handed them their swords.

"I can't put my finger on it," I said, "but something tells me Vivi isn't going down without a fight."

Vivi was staring at me again. It was starting to get creepy. Did he have a problem with me? For as long as I've known him, Vivi and I have never exchanged words. So why the sudden stares? Maybe he was trying to intimidate me.

It was working.

Seifer finally called out to Vivi, who turned to face him. Never thought I'd be grateful to Seifer.

"Don't mess with your elders," Seifer said.

"Whoa, just look at those sparks fly!" Biggs said. "I guess Seifer didn't expect to fight one of his own boys!"

"Seifer! Clean his closet out, y'know!"

"Clean his clock," Fuu corrected him.

"Whatever," Rai said. "Clean out somethin', y'know!"

"Idiot," Fuu said.

"Let's get this match underway!" Biggs said.

"3…2…1…STRUGGLE!"

Vivi and Seifer didn't move a muscle. I guess they were figuring out how to approach their enemy. Already tension was starting to build; especially with me. At this point I wouldn't mind fighting Seifer. I've faced him before, after all; I knew how he fought. With Vivi, I didn't know what to expect. I felt a hand touch my shoulder, and I turned to see Pence smiling at me.

"Relax," Pence said. "Vivi's probably really nervous. He's never been in front of a huge crowd before."

Seifer smirked. "Well, what are you waiting for? Afraid you're going to humiliate yourself again? Don't worry. I promise not to make this match as embarrassing."

Vivi lowered his head for a moment. Perhaps he was going to cry. Poor little guy couldn't handle the pressure. Suddenly, Vivi dashed right at Seifer, swinging violently at him. Seifer leaped back to avoid the attack, but Vivi pursued him. Seifer found himself running away from Vivi. No matter what he did, Vivi wouldn't let the guy catch a break. Vivi was attacking violently, not giving Seifer one chance to land a hit. My draw dropped. I glanced to see everyone else in shock. Half of the audience murmured to each other; I don't think THEY knew how to react.

"Wow. I was WAY off with that theory," Pence said.

"No kiddin'," Hayner said. "Since when did Vivi get so tough?"

I shrugged in response. Vivi's movements – I recognized them from somewhere. I just couldn't put my finger on. They were quick, but there was something…unstable about them. He kept moving from side to side. I know I've seen them before. Vivi continued his violent assault on Seifer. All Seifer could do was defend himself. Finally, Seifer pushed one of Vivi's attacks back, and swung at Vivi. The force from the attack knocked the little guy back. A few orbs fell as a result.

With a grin, Seifer dashed for the orbs. "You're mine!"

It seemed things were finally going Seifer's way. Until, completely out of nowhere, Vivi slid right in front of Seifer, spun into the air, and delivered a powerful strike. That attack was so fast; I barely saw what happened. Seifer went flying out of the ring, landing on the cushioning. The entire audience gasped in response, which was followed by even more murmuring.

Despite landing on cushioning, that was a pretty rough hit. In fact, as Seifer tried to sit up, I heard him grunting in pain. Vivi left the arena without saying a word.

"Seifer!" Fuu and Rai cried out.

"I-I'm not sure what just happened," Biggs said in utter confusion. "Uh….but…Seifer landed outside the ring. So the winner of the match is Vivi Orunitia! In a positively blistering comeback!"

The audience cheered, possibly out of respect. I could tell they were just as confused as we were. I realized at that moment why Vivi's moves were so familiar – he moved exactly like the guys in white. Was Vivi one of them? I didn't question it now. It looked like Seifer was in bad shape. And no one was helping him. I don't know what went off inside of my head, but I soon found myself running towards Seifer.

"Roxas! What are you doing!" Hayner asked.

I didn't reply. I kept running, thinking about Seifer's well being. Was I really doing this? Seifer always picked on us, and here I was, coming to his aid. I got onto the cushioning and helped Seifer get up.

"You alright?" I asked.

"Why…why are you helping me?" Seifer asked.

"Why not?"

Seifer chuckled. "Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer."

I helped Seifer onto his feet.

"Do you need a doctor or anything?" I asked.

"I'm fine," Seifer said. "I don't need any advice from you."

Stubborn as always. Fuu and Rai hurried over to us.

"Hey, you," Rai said to me. "Hands off! Seifer doesn't like anyone in his personal space, y'know?"

"It's fine," Seifer said. "Just get me home. I'll sleep this off."

I helped Seifer over to Fuu and Rai. They took him off of me, and both supported him.

"We're going to make Vivi pay for what he did, y'know?"

"That's not Vivi," Seifer said.

Maybe Seifer was smarter than I thought. After all, he knew Vivi better than I did. There was no way Vivi would act so out of character. Even if he had a bad day, Vivi would not get violent.

"What are you talkin' about, y'know?"

"Less talking, more walking," Seifer said.

"Got it," Fuu said.

The three turned away, and they started to leave.

"Roxas," Seifer said.

I was startled; Seifer never addressed me by name before. The three of them stopped for a moment, and Seifer looked over his shoulder to see me.

"Thrash 'im," he said.

Seifer and his gang left without saying another word. Seifer had never asked me to do anything before. Was it because I helped him out? Either way, I now had another promise to fulfill. I didn't know if I was ready for this. But if Vivi really fought like the guys in white, I might stand a chance, considering I sort of knew how they fought.

Everyone ran up to me. I noticed an upset look on Hayner's face. He wasn't too happy about what I did.

"What was that all about?" Hayner asked. "Why did you help Seifer like that?"

"Because he could've been seriously hurt," I said.

"After all the times he bullied us, you just walk right up there and give him a hand?"

"I don't know why I did it. Maybe I'm just too nice of a guy. I couldn't stand there and see Seifer like that. It's…something I had to do. It doesn't change anything between us."

Hayner started to open his mouth, but he stopped for a moment. He seemed to be thinking about what I said.

"I guess you have your reasons," Hayner said. "Seifer was in pretty bad shape."

"Shouldn't he be disqualified for injuring Seifer like that?" Pence asked.

"I dunno," Hayner said. "Let's ask the producer."

We went over to the producer and explained the situation to him.

"It's hard to tell if Vivi meant to inflict bodily harm on Seifer," the producer said. "The little guy may have gotten too excited in the moment. Don't worry; we've given him a warning. If it happens again, we'll assume that he's doing in on purpose, and therefore he will be disqualified."

Hayner sighed in disappointment. "Dang it! I was hopin' we'd get that trophy without a sweat."

"I'll just have to win it, then," I said.

"Oh! Hayner," the producer said. "I wanted to let you know that Seifer's withdrawn from the Struggle for third place."

Hayner's face lit up. At least there was some good news.

"So I'm in third now?" Hayner pumped his fist. "Aw, baby!"

While Hayner held his fist in the air, Pence leaned in and said, "Eh, third's not THAT big of a deal."

"Let me enjoy the moment," Hayner said through his teeth. He said it in a threatening way.

"Roxas, you need to get ready," the producer said. "Your match is in five minutes."

I nodded, and the producer left. Olette turned to me with a worried look on her face.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Olette asked me. "What if Vivi—"

"Relax. I'll be fine," I said. "I didn't come all this way just to quit. I'm winning that trophy for us no matter what!"

"That's the spirit!" Saki said. "Don't let Vivi scare you!"

"You're a way better fighter than Seifer," Pence said. "You can take him."

Olette smiled. "Okay. Go get 'em."

Hayner grinned and stuck his arm out to me.

"Remember, man: focus!" Hayner said.

I smiled in response and put my arm against his. I looked around to see that I was blessed with such amazing friends. To be honest, I was intimated by Vivi, but when you have friends out there cheering you on, you never felt alone. 'My friends are my power.' That's something Sora taught me. Corny, I know, but I had to think positive thoughts and hope for the best.

I said good-bye to my friends and headed over to get suited up. On the way, I looked across the arena. I could've sworn I saw Vivi over there, staring at me again.


	9. Chapter 8

** Day 5**

**Chapter 8: A New Challenger Approaches **

After getting my gear on, I headed into the ring with Vivi – neither of us exchanged a word. I started to sweat, not just because of partaking in the finals. It was because of Vivi; I didn't know what to expect from him. However, I looked out into the crowd to see my fan club giving me moral support through their cheers. I smiled at them as I stopped at the center of the arena.

The producer came on stage and handed us our swords.

"Keep it clean, fellas," the producer said (am I crazy, or did the producer sound exactly like Goofy?)

I turned my attention to Vivi. He was still staring at me, cold and emotionless.

I tried to make the mood lively by saying, "Good luck, dude."

No response from Vivi. Whatever. I'm going to win. That's the mindset I needed to have. I got into my battle position.

"And now," Biggs said, "the match you've all been waiting for: Roxas vs Vivi! Who'd have thought that two newbies would make it to the finals! I have a feeling that this is going to be the most memorable match in Struggle history! Let's count down!"

I tightened my grip on the handle of the sword. This is it. You can do it.

"3….2….1….STRUGGLE!"

Vivi and I ran at each other and swung past one another. When I turned around, I swung my blade in to deflect one of Vivi's attacks. I tried to thrust at him; he shifted his body left and pointed his blade up to block it. After he pushed my attack away, he thrust right for my foot; I lifted it up to avoid the blade. I brought my blade down, but, while holding each edge of the blade, Vivi brought his blade up to block. Instead of holding the position, I pulled my blade away.

Vivi tried to hit my chest, but I brought my blade in at an angle to block it (my left hand was holding the tip). I used all of the strength in my left arm to push Vivi to the side. Vivi stumbled forward, but caught himself by rolling onto the ground. As he got back up, I ran right for him. When I tried to attack, he defied the laws of physics and did a back flip right over my head.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't want to believe it. I turned around, but Vivi smacked me really hard with his blade, knocking me back a few feet. I landed on the ground. My back felt the full force of that one. I sat up, still feeling the soreness. Looking up, I saw Vivi running at me with his blade held high. He brought it down towards my legs, but I spread my legs out, letting the attack miss. I leaned forward with my blade and forced Vivi back.

I rolled away from Vivi and got to my feet. I noticed that Vivi wasn't collecting my orbs. He seemed more interest in me. I had a feeling that a lot more was at stake than just the trophy. I ran at Vivi and swung at him again. This time he did a side flip to dodge. When I turned to face him, he spun his body into the air and swung his sword at me like he was a saw.

I leaned back to avoid it. How did he do that? That wasn't physically possible. After Vivi landed, I swung at him again, but he leaped back, landing right at the edge of the ring. Now was my chance! I thrust at his chest, but Vivi did another side flip. Now I was at the edge. Should've seen that coming. Vivi leaped into the air and brought his blade down. All I could do was put mine up to block. Somehow he held that position while in the air. He pushed back, did a back flip, and landed on the ground, swinging right at my feet. I leaped to avoid the attack.

I rolled to my left and ran back to the middle of the ring. I turned around to see Vivi was in hot pursuit. I wasn't giving up. Vivi slid across the floor like it was made of grease or something and stabbed at my stomach. I swung my blade upward to knock his blade back. I quickly countered by hitting Vivi over the head with my blade, stunning him for a moment. Next, I tripped the back of his feet, and he landed on his back. I got onto my knees and brought my blade down. Unfortunately, Vivi put his blade up to block.

Both of us were in an intense lock. I didn't care about the orbs at this point; beating Vivi the old fashioned way was all I cared about. Vivi pushed me back and knocked me onto my back. Vivi tried to attack, but I rolled out of the way and got onto one knee. We both swung our blades at each other. When we brought them back the other way, we entered another blade lock. This time I applied extra pressure by pressing my free hand against the blade part.

I couldn't budge Vivi, and he couldn't budge me. We were at a stalemate. What do I do? Vivi's moves were superhuman. Although I was faring much better than Seifer, who knew what other tricks Vivi had up his sleeve. There was only one option. I had to call Vivi out. I started to think about the consequences that could occur if I did that, but then I heard K.K.'s voice in my head.

"_Don't wait. Act." _

"Why don't you cut the act?" I said. "I know you're not Vivi."

Vivi's eyes widened upon hearing that. I think he knew I was on to him.

I was still struggling. "Vivi….doesn't fight…this good."

We both released our grip from each other. I rolled back and got to my feet. Vivi started doing side flips all around me. He was moving way too fast.

"Wow! What a crazy maneuver!" Biggs said. "Vivi is really on a roll today! What will Roxas do now?"

I followed Vivi's movements, trying to look for some kind of opening. The whole time he flipped around the arena, he giggled, mocking me. My patience was growing thin.

"Stop fooling around and fight already!" I shouted.

Fed up, I tried to attack Vivi, but he flipped right to avoid. He prepared to bring his sword down on me. I had no time to dodge. Suddenly, I felt myself performing the same move I used on the thief. I slid behind Vivi and slashed him in the back, knocking him over. I could hear the audience murmuring.

"I-I…can't even follow this," Biggs said. "What sort of vitamins do these boys take?"

I have no idea how I did that. The move almost felt second nature to me, like how I'm able to use the keyblade efficiently without any training (boy, would the keyblade come in handy right now). Vivi stood up and turned to face me. He didn't look too happy. I was panting. I've never been in such an intense battle. It was starting to take its toll on me. I had to hang in there for as long as I could.

"You're pretty good," I said. "But I've had enough of your little games! Tell me who you really are!"

Vivi said nothing. I was starting to get annoyed.

"Alright, have it your way!" I said. "I'm ending this right now!"

I ran right for Vivi; I held my blade over my shoulders. Vivi remained perfectly still. He had to be up to something. I didn't care; I'll take my chances. I was about to bring the blade down when some "thing" stopped me dead in my tracks. There was a tingling sensation crawling through my body. When it stopped, I saw that the audience wasn't moving. I looked around; everyone was frozen again.

No, no, no, this can't be happening. Why was this happening? Did Namine do this? I looked around. She was nowhere in sight. I looked back at Vivi. He was the only one still moving. Put two and two together.

"Wh-what did you do?"

Vivi said nothing for a moment. Then, I heard the most terrifying cackle ever uttered by a person. It was a high pitched laugh that sounded like it came from the worse part of my nightmares. Vivi was glowing brightly. Soon, a ball of white light completely engulfed him. I gripped the handle of my sword again. The ball of light soon stretched in size; it became an oval. The light dimmed, and out of it came one of the guy's in white. I should've known.

"Again?"

I heard something behind me. I looked over to see two more of them. Wonderful. I was surrounded. I noticed a glow coming from below, and I felt a tingle in my hand. Looking down, I saw the struggle sword get replaced with the keyblade. This was getting annoying. It was like an endless loop of déjà vu. I had no way of getting out. Fighting for my life was not how I wanted to spend the last few days of summer vacation.

I looked at the keyblade. "Again…"

I looked to my right to see one of the creatures swiping at me. I ducked underneath his attack. The one in front of me swung his claw, but I knocked him aside with the keyblade. Turning to my left, I swung horizontally at the other one, who put his arms across his face to block the attack. Fortunately, the attack was powerful enough to knock him back. The other two tried to attack me together, but I swung my blade across to force them back.

I tried to hit them, but they kept dodging my attacks. My anger was like a time bomb; any moment it was going to go off. Both of the creatures tried to swipe at me, but I leaped back. I was preparing my next move when I felt someone push me forward. I had forgotten about the third one. As I stumbled forward, the other two ran by me, slashing each shoulder. I shouted from the intense pain. It felt like two giant kitchen knives flew right by me. I had to hug myself in order to get my hands on each shoulder, hoping to lessen the pain.

I looked over to see the three moving back and forth, as if they were ready to make their next move. The pain was bothering me; I didn't know if I had any juice left. No, don't think negatively. That'll make it worse. Instead, I kept thinking of Hayner telling me to "focus" over and over again. That was the confidence boost I needed.

I got to my feet and pointed my keyblade at them. "I'm not done yet!"

I threw my keyblade at all three of them, and they scattered off into different directions of the arena. I had to isolate them from each other. I ran towards the one on the left. After summoning the keyblade back to my hand, I swung right at his head. He tilted his head to dodge, and I went past him. When I turned around, I brought the blade in from below to block his right claw. I slightly leaned back and pointed my blade towards the sky to block his left claw. I pushed him back, and I brought the keyblade over my head with both hands, making it look like I was about to bring it down.

The creature prepared to block, but I released my left hand and swung my blade across his chest. I swung it back the other way, slashing across his chest again. I finished the job by thrusting the keyblade right into his chest, causing it to vanish. The second came right at me. Like a baseball player punting a ball, I rammed the keyblade into its stomach. I grabbed the creature and threw it over my shoulder. When it landed, I ran over and stomped on its stomach, so that it wouldn't run away. I stabbed it right in the chest, defeating it.

I turned around to face the last one. He too charged right for me. Thinking quickly, I grabbed a couple of orbs off of my vest. When it was close enough, I threw them right into its mouth. The creature stumbled back, chocking as a result. I slashed right down the middle, finishing it off.

I leaned over. I had to catch my breath. Two battles and no breaks. It was too much. I wanted to go lie down for a little while, but I had a feeling it wasn't over yet. Looking up, I didn't see any more of the guys in white. But I did see that everyone was still frozen. Now what? I thought defeating them would've done the trick. Guess I was being too optimistic.

"Hello! Namine! Are you out there? Please help!"

No response. Alone again. Well, until I heard clapping. I spun around to see another cloaked man standing there, giving me a round of applause. What did these guys want with me?"

"Roxas," he said. There was a laid back tone in his voice. "Alright."

He slowly approached me. I kept the keyblade close.

"Fight, fight, fight. I always knew you'd go the distance."

The man stopped for a moment, as if he was waiting for me to respond.

"You really don't remember? It's me."

He removed his hood. Wow. Did this guy have a crazy hair style – spiky red hair that made a hedgehog's quills look soft and cuddly.

"You know, Axel," he said.

Did I know this guy? Am I missing something here? I think I'd remember someone like him, but I was drawing nothing.

"Axel?"

"C'mon," Axel said. "We'd play pranks on each other. You constantly make fire puns to annoy the ever loving crap outta me. I say 'Got it memorized?' all the time. Anything? No?"

I said nothing. This guy was talking nonsense. He put his hands in his pockets, looked at the sky and exhaled.

"Talk about blank with a capital 'B.'" He looked back at me and shook his head. "Man oh man, even the Dusks aren't gonna crack this one."

Axel placed his hands at each side and summoned two giant, round, red weapons with strange marks. Hey, I only fought with swords. And now a giant key. I'm not a weapons expert.

"Wait a sec," I said. "Tell me what's going on."

Axel looked around the area. "This town is his creation, right? Which means we don't have time for a Q and A. You're coming with me, conscience or not. Then you'll hear the story."

Axel got his two weapons ready. I didn't know if could go another round. I had a feeling Axel was going to be a bigger threat than the guys in white. I slowly backed up, preparing to make a run for it. Unfortunately, when I got to the edge, I felt my back hit a wall. What was that? A barrier? How was I going to get out of this one? I then noticed a strange presence float throughout the area.

Axel seemed to know what it was. "Uh-oh."

I had reached my breaking point. I felt like the person in the back of a crowd; everyone knew could see what was going on but me. And to top it off, no one would tell me afterwards about what happened. It was frustrating to not understand. As that cloaked guy from my dreams said, "One who knows nothing can understand nothing." Maybe I was thinking too literally, but I didn't care at this point. I was fed up with everything.

I slammed my keyblade onto the ground, shouting, "What's going ON!"

The keyblade immediately returned to my hand.

"Number 13," Axel said. "Roxas. The keyblade's chosen one!"

I glanced at my keyblade. I guess Sora wasn't the only one chosen to wield it. Still, Axel's comment didn't answer any questions. I know I keep referring to this, but I once again used K.K.'s advice. If no one was going to willingly give me an answer, I'd have to force it out of them.

"Okay, fine." I got into my battle position. "You asked for!"

My new found confidence somehow reenergized my body. It wasn't tired or sore anymore. I was ready to duke it out.

Axel grinned. "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about. Let's get this party STARTED!"

Axel threw his weapons, and they rolled along the ground. As they rolled, they left a trail of fire behind, and that trail was way bigger than me. I didn't have time to react. Both rolled right by me, leaving me stuck between walls of fire.

"Nowhere to run!" Axel said.

Axel came at me and started throwing punches and kicks. I did my best to block, but his attacks were swift and fierce. He kneed me in the stomach, causing me to lean over. He grabbed me by the hair and pulled me up. He delivered an uppercut to my jaw, which was powerful enough to send me flying across the arena. I landed on my back. I quickly sat up and noticed the walls were gone. Axel also had his weapons back.

"Am I ringing any bells yet?" Axel asked.

I got to my feet. "No. But I'm going to make bells ring in your HEAD!"

"Go ahead and try it, tough guy!"

I ran at Axel and brought my blade straight down. Axel twirled around, countering with both weapons. The first attack blocked mine, and the second one knock the keyblade back. Upon turning around, Axel placed his fingers in the holes located near the end of his weapon, and he swung it in low towards my legs. I hopped back to avoid it. I swung the blade right across him, but he punched with his right weapon to block. I tried swinging it the other way, but he did the same thing with his left. I spun around, and when I faced him again, he threw a double punch at me. I brought my blade straight (the tip was facing up) and blocked with the handle.

I released my grip and tried to stab his chest. He brought both weapons inward and caught the blade. He then pushed it straight down and elbowed me in the face. As I turned around from the hit, I felt something scorch my back. I screamed from the burning pain. I angrily spun around to see Axel smirking at me.

"Hey, are you done sucking yet?" Axel asked. "It's getting boring."

I ran for Axel again. He snapped his finger and a giant flame covered him. I leaped back a good distance. When he brought the flame down, he threw one of his weapons at me (which was covered in fire, by the way). I did a cartwheel to dodge it. When I looked back at Axel, I saw him slam his other weapon into the ground. Immediately, my feet started to get warm. Common sense kicked me in the pants, and I leaped back, avoiding the rising torrent of fire.

Axel got his other weapon back, and he slammed both of them into the ground. I found myself running away from and dodging fire that came out of the ground. Eventually, I got over to Axel and started pounding away with the keyblade. Again, he blocked all of my attacks. At one point I tried to bring my blade down, but he stepped back, turned his weapons sideways and brought them inward. I ducked underneath them. Axel brought both of his arms down and prepared to open them right in front of my chest. I leaped back to dodge it.

Axel came at me and swung his weapon upward. After turning completely around, he threw his opposite weapon right at my left leg, landing a direct hit; I shouted as I felt the pointy edge pierce my skin. I kneeled over and tended to the wound. The weapon also bounced off of my leg, returning to Axel's hand. Axel kicked my chest with the heel of his foot, knocking me onto the ground.

I tried sitting up. The pain was getting in the way of my concentration again. Axel crossed his arms, smirking.

"Giving up already? C'mon, Roxas. I thought you were stronger than that."

Axel tried to hit me with his weapon, but I rolled out of the way, and kept rolling until I was far from him. I sat up and threw the keyblade at him. I quickly got to my feet and ran right at him.

"What the—!"

I saw Axel bring up one of his weapons to block, but the keyblade hit his wrist, knocking it out of his hand. I tried to grab him with my hands, but Axel put his other weapon up. I grabbed onto it, and I struggled not to lose my grip. We both spun around as Axel attempted to loosen my grip. At one point he briefly lowered his weapon and swung his arm at me. I ducked.

"Let go!"

"Not until you tell me what's going on!"

"Dream on!"

Using all of my strength, I rammed Axel right into the invisible wall. He pushed back and pulled right, trying to spin me around. I ran onto the invisible wall, running all the way around until Axel pulled me off. We both were locked in our positions again. I pushed his weapon down and rammed my head right into his. He reeled back from the force of my attack. I followed up with a round house kick, which knocked him right onto the floor. I summoned the keyblade again and brought it down while he was defenseless. He vanished in a cloud of smoke. Dang! So close!

I scanned the area for him, staying alert every step of the way. Where was he? There was no way I beat him that easily.

"Behind you!" Axel shouted.

I turned to see Axel standing right in front of me. I delivered an upward swing, but he leaped back, and flew into the air. Flames started to form around Axel's weapons, and he threw both of them at me. I stuck the keyblade out horizontally to block them. They continued to spin against the keyblade. Eventually, they exploded, knocking me back. I landed on the ground. I didn't know how much more abuse I could take. No matter what I did, Axel was one step ahead of me.

I scrambled to my feet and held my position.

"Geeze, kid," Axel said. "Sora beat me twice, so this should be easy for you. I think all this time in Twilight Town has made you soft."

I was about to say something when I realized Axel mentioned Sora. He knew Sora! That means the dreams were real. Axel noticed I was surprised, and he playfully put his hand up to his mouth.

"Oops," Axel said. "Did I let my mouth run again? I'm not exactly spoiler sensitive."

"Tell me," I said, "what do you know about him?"

"Oh, I know little tidbits," Axel said. "But I'm not the type to give out information for free. Beat me, and maybe I'll share a few secrets."

I sighed. Given how well I've fared against him, there was a small chance for success. But I wasn't going to give up.

"Too bad I'm ending this right now!" Axel said.

I braced myself as Axel started glowing bright orange. Hoo boy; this might be a doozy. Suddenly, a bunch of odd computer symbols appeared between us. The symbols transformed into some man. He wore red bandages on his face, hiding his identity. Who was he? Better yet, whose side was he on? I noticed Axel's attack dying down. He frowned at the strange man.

"So it was you," Axel said.

Axel threw both of his weapons right at the man. The man looked at Axel, and some shield protected him from the attacks. The man turned his attention to me.

"Roxas, this man speaks nonsense!" he said.

"Roxas, don't let him deceive you!"

I was so confused right now. What were they trying to tell me? They kept shouting my name over and over again. This was overwhelming. I didn't know what was going on, and now I feel like they were forcing me to make some kind of choice. The stress was getting to me. Big time! I closed my eyes, hoping it was a dream, and that I would wake up. Their voices became louder and louder. Soon, the voices sounded distorted, as if they too were from the darkest parts of my nightmares.

I covered my ears, trying to channel them out. It wasn't working. They were inside my head, gnawing away at my brain! Make it stop, please! I want to go home! I want my friends! It hurts!

"Hayner….Pence….Olette…"

I shouted with my eyes closed. "HAYNER! PENCE! OLETTE!"

I heard the cheers of the audience. Opening my eyes, I saw that everyone was moving again. I looked to see Vivi was on the floor, lying on his stomach. I looked at my hand to notice the keyblade was replaced with the Struggle sword. I sighed, extremely relieved. But it wasn't safe to assume everything was okay. Nothing got resolved.

"What? What just happened?" Biggs asked.

The producer walked on stage and examined Vivi.

The producer raised his arm. "Vivi hardly has any orbs on!"

The audience roared with cheers and applause. I won the match, but was too shaken up from everything that happened to care. I noticed Vivi slowly get to his feet. He looked around in confusion.

"…Huh? How did I get here?" Vivi asked himself.

Vivi left the arena, and I saw my friends run on stage; they were overjoyed.

"Roxas!" Olette shouted.

My friends came over to congratulate me. Hayner even patted me on the back.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Roxas— our new top struggler!" Biggs announced.

Seeing all of my friends now felt overwhelming. I was so tired. I started to collapse, but Hayner and Pence were quick to catch me.

"Roxas, are you okay?" Hayner asked. "What happened out there?"

I turned to Hayner with a faint smile. "Nothing. I'm fine. Just…relieved."


	10. Chapter 9

**Day 5**

**Chapter 9: Going the Distance**

Everything didn't matter to me. I was almost completely zoned out. The only thing I heard was Biggs announcing a half hour intermission before the championship match. That was a pretty frightening experience; anyone would be shaken up by it. My brain was clogged up with thoughts. So many questions – one of them was: would life ever be the same? Would I spend the rest of my life on the run? Hayner and Pence helped me over to a bench, and I sat there in silence. Obviously everyone was worried sick.

About a few minutes later, Olette broke the silence. "Roxas, what's wrong? You won the prize for us. This isn't like you."

No one would believe me. I know K.K. told me to give it a try, but I didn't want my friends to look at me differently. Would they really understand? Or like my emotions, would they just smile and nod, secretly thinking I was nutjob?

"I'm really tired," I said. "Vivi took a lot out of me."

"I'll fetch you some water," Pence said.

"Fetch!" a familiar voice said excitedly.

K.K. ran up to us and stuck his tongue out as if waiting for someone to throw him a Frisbee.

"Throw it! Throw it! Throw it!"

Pence laughed. "Not that kind of Fetch."

K.K. moaned and lowered his head in disappointment.

"Aw, man," K.K. said. "Anyways, sorry I'm late, cats. What'd I miss?"

"I won the match title."

K.K. gave me a high five. "Outta sight, man. I knew one of you would make it. But you don't seem too thrilled by it."

"Roxas is worn out," Hayner said.

"Understandable," K.K. said. "We should give him some space. He has one more match, after all."

I shouted out. "Don't leave!"

Everyone jumped back in surprise from my abrupt response. I didn't want to be alone right now. Maybe those weirdoes won't come back if I'm with friends.

"I mean, I wouldn't mind some company," I said.

"Um, okay," Hayner said with confusion in his voice. "Sure thing, man."

For the next half hour, we sat and talk with each other. Spending time with my friends did make me feel a little better. But it wasn't enough to reverse everything that happened. There was so much on my mind still. However, my chance to catch my breath was soon over, as the sound of screaming fangirls split my eardrums open.

"Seeeetttttzer!"

Setzer was on stage, eating up the attention like someone going crazy at an all you can eat buffet. I wanted to win so badly, but I wasn't sure I had the strength.

"In just two minutes," Biggs announced, "our newest contender, Roxas, will be going toe to toe with our Struggle champion, Setzer! I can't wait! Would both players please report to the tournament bracket?"

I stood up. "Well, this is it."

"Roxas, are you sure you can fight in your condition?" Olette asked.

"You already won the trophy," Pence said. "It's not worth it."

Hayner got me into a headlock. "No way! My boy is going all the way! He's going to show that prissy boy what a true struggle champion is like! Right, man?"

"Y-yeah," I said.

"You call that confidence?" Hayner asked. "Again! With passion!"

I released my grip from him and shouted, "YEAH!"

"That's more like it!" Hayner said. "Go get 'em!"

I said my good-byes and left for the ring. I guess Hayner's encouragement helped. I still wasn't sure if I was up for one more round. I had to give it a try. There was no way I'd miss an opportunity to take on Setzer. After getting our gear on, Setzer and I got into the ring. The producer came out and handed us our swords.

"You two, play fair now," the producer said. "You're at the top of the bracket."

"There's only room for one up here," Setzer said.

"Well, may the best man win!" the producer said.

As the producer walked off stage, I heard Pence say, "Man, he's still down. Wish there was something we could do to cheer him up. Oh! I got an idea!"

I heard Pence clear his throat. I didn't like where this was going.

"You're the best! Around!" Pence sang. "Nothing's gonna ever keep you down!"

Everyone turned to see Pence singing horribly. Before he could sing the next line, Hayner tackled him right to the ground. Ouch! Pence was going to feel that one in the morning. Olette looked down at Hayner with a raised eyebrow.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Didn't I tell you before?" Hayner replied. "It's how I express myself."

I rolled my eyes. Impulsive as ever.

"Hey, Roxas," Setzer said.

I turned to him.

"You ready to do this?"

I silently nodded.

"You don't look ready. The odds are going to be against you."

I sighed. "Just don't hold back."

"Hey, are you not ready to fight? I could postpone the match a little longer, if you like."

My ears almost refused to believe what they heard. Setzer was concerned for me?

"You would do that?" I asked in shock.

Setzer smiled. "Of course. What's the point in putting your championship title on the line if your opponent isn't going to make a solid effort? I want to have fun."

Hearing Setzer say that made me feel better. I guess I really did judge Setzer too harshly. He was a decent guy.

I heard Hayner shout, "Roxas! Focus!"

I looked over my shoulder to see my friends cheering me on. It was their support that kept me going. If I didn't have such amazing friends, I don't know what I'd do. In fact, I didn't want picture it.

"What do you say, Roxas?" Setzer asked me.

I turned back to Setzer, smirking. "I say: prepared to lose that belt!"

"Alright!" Setzer said excitedly. "Then it's time to ante up!"

"Roxas, our underdog hero, versus Setzer, our defending champion!" Biggs said. "The winner of this match will be the true champion! That's bragging rights for a whole year, folks! It's time to countdown one last time!"

"Three….two….one….STRUGGLE!"

Setzer ran at me, ducked underneath my attack, and rammed the blade into my stomach. He quickly hit me on each shoulder, leaped back slightly, and then took a huge step forward to stab me in the stomach. He finished with an upward swing across my chest, which knocked me onto the ground. I got over onto my back and saw Setzer collect the orbs that fell off.

He ran over to me and swung the blade down. I rolled away to avoid his attack. However, Setzer was not going to let me get up. He ran after me and swung again. I stretched my arm out, and swung my blade upward to deflect his attack. I quickly got onto one knee, turned around and put my blade up horizontally to block his next attack. After I pushed him back, I got to my feet and stabbed at his chest. He titled his body left to dodge. He tried to counter, but I backed up and brought my blade up to deflect it. I swung right across, but he ducked underneath my attack.

He tried to bring his blade in low towards me legs, but, while I held both hands on the handle, I brought my blade in to block. I pushed his blade up to release the grip. Holding the blade in my right hand, I got my sword into a backhanded position. I swung it right across to block an attack. I repositioned my hands around the handle and swung it the other way to clash with Setzer. We both stayed locked in our positions.

"Not bad, rookie," Setzer said. "You definitely deserve to be up here. Too bad you won't win! I'm going to make you fold this game!"

I groaned. "Please, if you want me to fight at my best, you'll refrain from any more gambling puns."

"Have it your way!"

Setzer pushed me back. I tried to swing my sword at his right foot, but he lifted it and slightly moved back. He thrust the sword at my chest, but I tilted left to dodge it. I swung my sword up like a club and knocked his sword away. I swung my sword down diagonally, and Setzer moved back to dodge. Setzer brought his straight down, and I side stepped left to avoid the attack. Before Setze could react, I hit him in the side. I ran behind him and hit his back, knocking him onto his stomach.

I collected the orbs that fell. At the same time I heard my friends cheering me on. I tried to collect the last two, but Setzer, while on his stomach, swung at my feet, and I hopped back. He collected the two orbs, got to his feet, and swung at my shoulder. I moved right, but he quickly brought it around and tapped my other shoulder, knocking orbs off. I got distracted by that, and I felt him stab me in the stomach, knocking me over onto my back. I saw orbs fly everywhere. I rolled around on the ground to try and get them before Setzer did. I managed to get most of them back, with the exception of a few.

I knew that Setzer had more orbs. I had to get them off of him. I got to my feet and tried swinging at him. However, he was nimble; I couldn't lay a finger on him. I think Setzer knew he had more orbs, too, as he was being evasive. He was playing it smart. But I wasn't going to let this continue. Setzer was so busy dodging my attacks that he failed to realize I was luring him towards the end of the ring.

I brought my blade down again, and he leaped back. When he landed, he immediately turned around to see he was at the edge. Now was my chance! I tried to swing at Setzer's chest, but he rolled under my attack. The audience gasped in surprise (and I think in disappointment, too). Setzer turned around to face me, but I brought my blade down and knocked off a good chunk of orbs. See, I had a feeling he was going to roll to dodge my attack. That's why I stopped swinging the moment he started rolling; to prepare another attack.

I swung across his chest while he was still kneeled over and knocked him onto the ground. I collected the orbs. Unfortunately, Setzer instantly recovered and knocked me back. Orbs were flying everywhere.

"Time's running out!" Biggs announced.

It was a game of who collected the most orbs now. We both ran around the area, collecting the remaining orbs. Finally, it was just down five orbs that were coupled together. I looked up to see Setzer looking at me. Those orbs could make all the difference. We ran for the orbs as the audience counted down. By the time the audience hit three, both of us leaped for the orbs.

* * *

><p>The match was over. Setzer and I both stood next to each other as Biggs came in to count the orbs. I couldn't wait for the results, but at the same time I dreaded them. Even if I lost, I still had a lot of fun out there. It took my mind off things for a little while. And hopefully the celebration I had with my friends later would keep those thoughts locked up in the darkest part of my mind.<p>

Biggs finished counting the orbs.

"Ladies and gentlemen, after much scrutiny, I have determined who the winner is," Biggs said.

The crowd was dead silent. Oh, the anticipation!

"And the Struggle championship title goes to…..ROXAS!"

The dead silence was replaced by the loudest cheers I've ever heard. I couldn't help but pump my fist and shout, "YEAH!" I saw my friends in the crowd going absolutely ballistic. It left me with a good feeling; my friends were very proud of me, and I was proud of myself.

Setzer walked over and shook my hand. "Congratulations, Roxas. You truly deserve the title. Especially for your willingness to take chances. That's the second time you lured someone to edge of that ring."

"Hey, it wasn't easy," I said. "You're good."

"Thanks," Setzer said. "Cherish the belt while you can. I plan to win it back next year."

I smiled. "Okay! You're on!"

Setzer said good-bye and started to walk off stage. He stopped, pointed at me, and I saw my friends run past him.

"Roxas!" Hayner shouted.

Olette got to me first and gave me a big hug. "You did it!"

The others soon arrived, and they were all over me. Hayner got me into a headlock and gave me a noogie.

"I knew you'd win the title that was meant for me all along!" Hayner said.

I laughed. "Very funny, dude!"

"That was awesome, Roxas!" Pence said.

"Far out!" K.K. added.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys," I said.

* * *

><p>The producer came on stage and placed the trophy right next to me. I placed my hand on it, feeling its smooth texture. I couldn't believe it was in my hands. The producer handed me the belt, and I lifted it up. The cheers were followed by people chanting my name. At least this day ended on a positive note. A few minutes later, the Biggs came back on stage.<p>

"Well, folks, that ends this year's Struggle extravaganza," Biggs said. "Let's give all of our competitors a round of applause. They were fantastic!"

Biggs continued after the applause. "And before we say good-bye, we have a special surprise for our new champion, courtesy of our own Baking Mama!"

I lit up. So did my tongue. Baking Mama came onto the stage pushing a trolley. On top of the trolley was a huge rectangular cake with blue icing on it. The words 'Congratulations, Roxas' were written on it. I guess she got to work on that the moment I won. Next to my name was a picture of the crystal trophy.

"Wow!" I said.

"Mama knew you could do it," Mama said cheerfully.

"Thank you so much, Mama," I said. "It looks delicious!"

I heard Hayner say, "Well, then, have a bite!"

I turned to Hayner, and my face got greeted by frosting. It was all over my face. I rubbed the frosting out of my eyes.

"What was that for?" I asked angrily.

Hayner smirked. "Still had a little bit of that grudge left. That helped me get it out of my system."

I grabbed a piece of cake. "Good, 'cause now your system has room for this!"

I splattered cake against Hayner's face. He grabbed another piece, but I moved out of the way, and it ended up hitting Pence. One thing led to another, and soon, we were having a cake fight. It was like a _Three Stooges_ episode, minus the slapstick. We were laughing, having a great time until…

"STOP!" Mama yelled.

Everyone came to a screeching halt. I turned to see that Baking Mama was beyond angry. I saw the fire in her eyes; it was so strong that it would melt her eye sockets in seconds.

"Mama worked really hard on that cake," Mama said. "And this is the way you show respect for Mama's cake?"

I looked at Hayner, who looked back at me with a smirk. It was like we read each other's mind; we picked up a piece of cake and shoved it in Mama's face. I have no clue why we did that. Maybe it was to calm Mama down. After Mama wiped the frosting off her face, we braced ourselves for her reaction. Surprisingly, she let out smile.

"Weeeellll, I guess you kids are just being kids," Mama said. "As long as you're happy. Oh, you boys don't have enough frosting on your faces. Here, Mama will fix it!"

Mama grabbed two pieces and shoved them in our faces. We resumed having fun for the remainder of the Struggle.

* * *

><p>After all the excitement, we headed to the clock tower to unwind. As we sat in our usual spots, I took the trophy and held it out towards the sunset. The four crystals shined brightly, giving them a magical look to them. It was really cool. I could do this all day – hanging with my friends and watching the sunset together. Nothing bad was happening. It was just us. I removed the four crystals and threw them to my friends. Pence almost dropped his, but he managed to catch it in his palm.<p>

"Hello, we're sitting on a three storey building!" Pence said. "Would've been safer to just walk over."

I rubbed my head. "Sorry."

"Eh, don't sweat it," Pence said.

I took my blue crystal and stuck it out towards the sun, seeing the true beauty of the crystal as it shined.

"As promised," I said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the others mimic what I was doing.

"Thanks a ton, Roxas!" Pence said.

"One more treasure for us to share," Hayner said.

We stayed like this for a few moments. It didn't get any better than this.

"What's it like to be champion, man?" Pence asked.

"It's really cool," I replied. "I can't wait to defend my title next year."

Hayner grinned. "Who said you're waiting till next year?"

"Hayner!" Olette said.

"What? I'm kidding! Would I do that to my buddy, even if I approached him in a dark alley at night, wearing a trench coat and holding two struggle swords?"

I started cracking up. "Subtle!"

"What? Those are my evening clothes!" Hayner joked.

We all laughed. After settling down, Olette went to grab something that was behind her.

"I got a surprise for everyone," she said.

She pulled out four sea-salt ice creams. I stood up in excitement.

"Whoa!" Hayner said.

Somehow, I accidently made my foot step off the edge, and I started losing balance; I was doing whatever I could to regain it. My breathing became heavy. How did I let this happen? And then, I fell right off the edge.

* * *

><p>What a way to go.<p>

On an island far way, a teenage girl was walking home from school. The sun was setting; the sky was glowing with a pinkish color. The girl walked down a narrow path, carrying her book bag. She was dressed in her school uniform. As she approached a small hill, she was stopped by the voice of another girl.

"Kairi! Wait up!"

Kairi turned around to see her friend, Selphie, run up to her. Kairi gave her friend a warm smile. The two started walking together.

"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go hang out on the island," Selphie said. "Tidus and Wakka are all wrapped up in their ball game."

"Not today," Kairi said with a very kind and gentle voice, "sorry."

Selphie moaned. "Aw, why not?"

When they got to the top of the hill, Kairi stopped. She looked out to see a huge island in the distance. Seeing that island always made her sentimental. But at the same time it filled her with sadness.

"What's wrong?" Selphie asked.

"Do you remember those boys who used to hang out with us?"

Selphie was confused for a moment, but the memory soon flashed in front of her eyes.

"You mean, Riku?" Selphie asked.

Kairi nodded.

"Yeah, whatever happened to him? He just disappeared one day."

Kairi knew the awful truth. It was a day she didn't forget. She still pictured the faint image of Riku telling her to run for dear life from the monstrous creatures known as heartless. She remembered Riku being under the control of Ansem. Oh, the suffering she heard in his voice. And after that, she never saw him again. It was a horrifying memory, one she didn't want to remember. But Selphie would not believe something farfetched.

Instead, she simply said, "He's far away. But I know we'll see him again."

Selphie noticed the sadness in Kairi's voice. She and Riku have been very close friends.

"Sure. Of course we will," Selphie said cheerfully.

Kairi was confused for the moment. Why did Selphie bring up just Riku? Something didn't feel right.

"And the other boy?"

Selphie titled her head in confusion. "What other boy?"

"The one who was with Riku and me all the time-we played together on that island. His voice always used to be there...but now it's gone. I can't think of his face, or his name. I feel awful about it. So I told myself-I'm not going to the island until I remember everything about him."

"Are you sure you didn't make him up?"

"The feelings I have for him are too strong to be made up."

Kairi heard a voice in her head. _"Namine?"_

She started feeling dizzy. The entire island she looked at was spinning around like a top. She held her forehead; there was a stinging pain. She was frightened by this strange occurrence. Soon enough, everything went black.

The last sound she heard was Selphie exclaiming, "Kairi! What's wrong!"

* * *

><p>Why haven't I hit the ground yet? Was this how falling to your death felt like? Time moved as fast as paint drying on a wall? I was waiting for it to end.<p>

But then I heard someone in my head say, _"The feelings I have for him are too strong to be made up."_

"_Namine?" _I asked in my thoughts. _"Is that you? Help me! I don't know what's going on!"_

"_Who are you?" _the girl asked. _"And that's not my name. I'm Kairi."_

Kairi….that name. I knew who that was. The promise he made to her.

"_Kairi? Aren't you that girl he likes?"_

"_Who are you talking about?"_

Strange, now I couldn't remember his name. Everything was getting cloudy. How could I forget that guy? After all, I've been having dreams about him every night.

"_Please, a name!"_

"_I'm Roxas."_

"_Okay, Roxas, but can you tell me his name."_

Another voice entered my head. _"You don't remember my name? Thanks a lot, Kairi."_

Kairi gasped. I recognized that voice, except it sounded older. Was it…him?

"_Okay, I guess I can give you a hint. Starts with an 'S'…."_

* * *

><p>"Kairi! Kairi! Are you okay?"<p>

Selphie frantically shook her friend in hopes of waking her up. Finally, Kairi opened her ocean blue eyes, and she slowly sat up. Selphie helped her sit up.

"What happened?" Selphie asked. "Are you not feeling good?"

Kairi shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it was the heat."

Selphie helped Kairi stand up. Kairi wasn't sure what just happened. She had no idea who Roxas was, but she recognized the other boy's voice. Hearing it somehow lifted her spirits. She looked out towards the island. Selphie, although confused, did the same. Something clicked in Kairi's head as she stared at the island that kept her childhood safe. She turned to Selphie with the brightest smile. Selphie would have needed sunglasses just get a glimpse of Kairi's excitement.

Selphie was about open her mouth, but Kairi ran off towards the shore of the island.

"Wait up!" Selphie said. She muttered under her breath, "What's gotten into her?"

Kairi arrived at the beach. She looked off towards the horizon. Today she was going to be proactive. She wasn't going to stand around waiting for answers to abruptly hit her in the head. Selphie arrived moments later.

"Kairi…?" Selphie asked in concern.

Kairi stroked her long red hair. She wasn't waiting any longer. Selphie watched, even more confused, as Kairi pulled a bottle with a letter out of her bag. She kneeled over and set it in the water, and the tide pulled it away. The bottle slowly floated away to its destination.

"What's that?" Selphie asked.

"A letter... I wrote it yesterday, to the boy I can't remember. I said that no matter where he is... I'll find him. One day. And when I stopped writing, I remembered we made a promise, something important. This letter is where it starts. I know it."

Selphie was incredulous about Kairi's idea. She had no clue where this boy was. How would a bottle manage to track him down? Selphie didn't think Kairi was crazy, though. She knew how determine Kairi got sometimes, and she would do whatever it took to find what she was looking for. Selphie would support her friend, despite how ludicrous her objective was.

"Wow," Selphie said. "I hope he gets it."

"He will," Kairi said. She said to herself, "Starts with an 'S.'"

There was a brief flash in her memories

"Right, Sora?" Kairi asked.

She gasped. Sora! The boy who first befriended her. The boy she protected from the heartless. It was all coming back. Everything. Even the promise they made about Sora returning her lucky charm.

Selphie was baffled by suddenly remembering him. "Sora! How did I forget him? Oh my gosh, that's so weird!"

All of the memories were flashing through Kairi's mind. It was too much. The last thing she remembered was being separated from him. She needed time to herself right now.

"Hey, I need to get going," Kairi said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?"

"I'll be fine."

Although feeling skeptical, Selphie said her good-byes and headed home. Kairi looked out at the island. The worst part was she just heard his voice in her head. She tried to call out for him inside, but there was no started to fill her eyes.

"_Sora, I'm sorry I forgot you," _Kairi said in her thoughts.

She took a deep breath and fought the tears back. She had to be strong. Crying wasn't going to bring him back. It was a long shot, but she hoped the letter would reach him. It had to reach him, she thought. She remembered the last thing he said to her.

"_I'll come back to you. I promise!" _

She smiled. He will return, she thought, because he never breaks his promises.

* * *

><p>RESTORATION AT 79%<p>

* * *

><p>Back in the computer room, Diz continued watching the monitor. He typed on the keyboard and brought up a green screen that had images of boxes, numbers, and letters. The hooded man stood behind him, tossing a round blue crystal in the air. After scrutinizing every detail, Diz brought up another screen, showing the vitals of the spiky haired boy. Diz sat back and sighed.<p>

"We were fortunate to get that dilemma under control," Diz said.

"I don't get it," the hooded man said with confusion in his voice. "Why didn't the program react immediately to the threat?"

"Because the Organization has figured out a way to temporarily disable the program, making it vulnerable to their attacks," Diz explained. "Fortunate I created a failsafe which makes the program disappear until I can reprogram it."

"So, it can be destroyed by physical means?" the hooded man asked.

Diz nodded.

"What about deleting it from the outside, like any other computer program?"

"Highly improbable," Diz said. "I created a very secure password, preventing them from gaining access to all of its files. Besides, by the time they could decode the password, our task will be complete. Take a look: he's making amazing progress."

The hooded man glanced at the computer screen. He placed the crystal in the same pouch he stole the other day, and placed it back in his pocket.

"Indeed. By the way, how did Sora and Kairi manage to connect like that?" the hooded man asked.

"Namine's encounter with Roxas put his heart in contact with Kairi's. And that, in turn, affected Sora. You see?"

"Yes," the hooded man said with fascination in his voice. "Namine...she truly is a wonder…"

"She wasn't born like other Nobodies. She can interfere with the hearts and memories of Sora and those aligned with him."

"A Nobody of that nature must've come from someone very powerful. Who is she the Nobody of?"

Diz glanced at the hooded man. "I could tell you. But first, perhaps you could tell me your true name?"

The hooded man hesitated for a moment. He didn't feel comfortable with revealing his true identity. Then again, he trusted Diz enough; he was pretty sure Diz wouldn't tell anyone his secret.

"Come now," Diz said. "Don't be shy."

The hooded man removed his hood, revealing himself to be a menacing man with yellows eyes and long white hair.

"It's Ansem," the hooded man said.

Diz wasn't sure how to react at first. Suddenly, he started to chuckle, which soon erupted into laughter.

"It's an honor, Ansem!" Diz said in a mocking tone.

* * *

><p>"Whoa, timeout!" Axel said in shock. "You want me to knock him off now? I said I could bring him back!"<p>

Axel was sitting on a tall white chair, which was located in a huge, round white room. Surrounding the room were other tall chairs. Some were taller than his chair, and some were shorter. Sitting on two of the chairs were other hooded men. The one that sat across from him crossed his arms.

"It's an order," the other man said with a heavy British accent. "Why are you hesitating? Aren't you the one who deals judgment upon those who disobey the Organization? The boy clearly betrayed us."

Axel scoffed. "Who said he betrayed us? The kid can't even remember his own birthday!"

"Rubbish," the crossed armed man said. "The boy has been nothing but a menace. He should be eliminated immediately!"

The other hooded man in the room (supposedly Axel's boss) put his arm out to silence his subordinate. With a hesitant grunt, the crossed arm remained quiet.

"I'll give you one more chance to bring him back," Axel's boss said. "But it will be of his volition. You're merely an escort. If he refuses to return, he must pay the price."

"That's not fair!"

"Don't oppose these orders, Axel," the cross armed man said. "Otherwise YOU'LL be the one who pays!"

The cross armed man summoned a purple naginata, and, using nothing but his own mind, sent the weapon flying at Axel. He felt the force of the attack fly by him, as it barely missed his face; it ended up hitting the right side of his chair's back. Axel was unfazed by the man's threat.

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Really? Have you forgotten that we can't experience intimidation? No wonder you were nothing more than a guard in your past life."

The cross armed man was enraged. "What? How dare you!"

"Enough!" the other hooded man said firmly. "Stand down."

The cross armed man sighed and made his weapon disappear. The other man put his hand out, and it started glowing. A ball of energy appeared in his hand, which was surrounded by an uncontrollable wave of electricity. Axel finally understood what the stakes were. This place he lived in, which he used to call home was now his prison. And disobedience would lead to capital punishment.

Axel sighed dejectedly. "So it's come to this, huh?"

Axel wasn't sure which would be worse: killing Roxas or being erased from existence. He looked back at his boss, who wouldn't hesitate to take out one of his own. Axel sat in deep thought for a moment.

"Fine!" he said reluctantly. "If it'll make you feel…any sort of emotion, I'll do it!"

Axel leaped off of the chair. When he landed on a round platform, he shoved his hands into his pockets and stormed off. The other two watched in silence as Axel exited the room. Deep down, they didn't fully trust Axel. Given his unpredictable nature, Axel might switch sides faster than the tap of a foot.

Axel knew that once he performed this task, life would never be the same again.


	11. Chapter 10

**Day 6**

**Chapter 10: The Seven Wonders of Twilight Town**

Falling….falling...into darkness…

I sat up in my bed, gasping. I looked around my room; I was safe and sound. I fell back onto my bed and stretched my arms out. That was pretty terrifying. I thought I was dead, for sure. I sat up, lightly brushed the side of my hair, opened the window, and looked out. I had to get some air. Maybe it'd clear my mind.

"I'm dreaming," I said. "But…which parts…were the dream?"

* * *

><p>I arrived at the Usual Spot feeling slightly groggy. Dream or not, I didn't get good sleep last night. I smacked my cheeks, forcing myself to wake up. Hopefully hanging with my friends would boost my energy. Unfortunately, when I entered to see Hayner and Olette arguing, I suddenly felt like going back to bed with ear plugs.<p>

"Only three days left of summer vacation – so don't even mention that assignment!" Hayner said.

"But we agreed to get it done yesterday!" Olette argued. "Have you forgotten it's supposed to be a group effort?"

"C'mon, after everything that happened, I want to relax!" Hayner complained.

As they continued arguing, I saw Pence playing a game of darts. Obviously he wanted no part of this discussion. I quietly sat in my seat and began thinking about the dream again. It had to be real. It was like when I encountered the surfer guy. It felt like someone was playing a prank on my brain. I was at a point where I couldn't distinguish between reality and fantasy. Wouldn't surprise me if I was still dreaming. Of course, Hayner and Olette arguing like a married couple sounded like something that would happen in the real world.

"Roxas, do you agree with her?" Hayner asked.

Geeze, not even a hello. This must've been serious. I didn't hear most of the conversation, so how was I supposed to answer? Instead, I decided to ask him about something else, in hopes that I wasn't losing my mind.

"Yesterday…I fell off the station tower, didn't I?"

Hayner looked at me in confusion. "That…wasn't the response I was looking for. But you wouldn't even be here if you did."

Can't argue with that logic.

"Yeah," Pence said. He was now sitting down. "Man, was THAT a close call, though."

"Stop changing the subject!" Olette snapped. "If one of us slacks off, we all fail!"

Hayner sighed in annoyance. "Fine! We'll do the stupid project! I hate summer homework! So, remind me, what do we have to do?"

There was a pause before Pence asked, "You didn't look at the assignment, did you?"

"Of course I did!" Hayner said defensively. "I just skimmed past the important parts."

There was another pause.

"Wait, let me rephrase that," Hayner said.

"We have to do a report on something interesting that's happening in town," Olette said, ignoring Hayner's fib. "It could be anything strange or unusual."

"Maybe we could do the report on the stuff happening with me," I said. "You know, like the dreams – and the guys in white."

"Forget it," Hayner said.

I gasped in surprise. What could've been more interesting than my entire week?

"Why?" I asked.

"Because we got something planned for that," Hayner said. "Things HAVE been weird with you and the town lately ever since the photo incident."

"So tomorrow we're going to search the town and find out what's goin' on," Pence said.

Olette smiled. "Lots of people are helping us."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Everyone was taking time out of their day to help me with my problem. I was so stunned. How do I react? This was by far the best thing I heard all week. And by far the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me.

"All that…for me? You guys…."

"Say no more, man," Pence said. "You're our best friend. We'd do anything to help."

I had the greatest friends in the world. With lifted spirits, I said, "I'll go get us some ice-cream!"

Well, I had to find some way to show my appreciation.

* * *

><p>Sometime later we sat around eating ice-cream. We were coming up with ideas for our project. Some people listen to music for ideas; others, as our English teacher once said, use free writing to let ideas flow out like a steady stream. For us, one good brain freeze was all we needed. We were throwing out ideas, trying to ignite something.<p>

"There's this strange rumor going around," Pence said. "Wanna hear it? You know the stone steps at Sunset Station? We use 'em all the time, without even thinking about it. But – and this is the weird part – the steps count different going up and down!

"Seriously!" Hayner asked in surprise.

"And there are six other weird stories like that," Pence said. "It's like…the seven wonders of Twilight Town."

"We should investigate them for our school project," Hayner said excitedly. "Pence, you did it again!"

"There might be some other rumors going around, too," Pence added. "Let's split up! I'm going after the seven wonders."

"I'll come with you, Pence," I said.

"Then Olette and I will look for new rumors," Hayner said. "Let's roll!"

Olette and Hayner left to scout the entire town.

"Let's head for the train station," Pence said. "I heard all of the wonders are at Sunset Terrance."

I grinned. "Nice. This will be a cakewalk."

As we started to leave, Pence winced. "Shoot! I forgot to put the darts away."

"Leave 'em," I said. "I want to get this project over with!"

Pence nodded, and the two of us left for the train station.

* * *

><p>When we arrived outside the station, I heard the sounds of construction going on at the door that led to the Underground Concourse; which consisted of tunnels that went to almost every part of Twilight Town. There were hissing power drills and buzzing jackhammers at work. Fortunately they weren't loud, but they were getting a bit grating.<p>

"I wonder what's going on," Pence said.

"Hey, cats," K.K. said. I turned and saw him walk over to us. "Man, so hard to find a place to tune up nowadays!"

"K.K., do you know what's happening?" Pence asked.

"Mayor Wright finally approved upon making a tunnel in the concourse that connects directly to Sunset Terrance," K.K. explained.

"Sweet!" Pence said. "We don't have to waste money taking the train!"

K.K. looked at the entrance to the concourse, shaking his head. "That Mayor never stops building. He wants to make Twilight Town a better place, but all he cares about is remodeling buildings that aren't important. Glad to see he's making something useful for a change. I can barely afford the train. Erm…sorry, boys. I'm rambling about the man again. What's up?"

We told him about our school project and the seven wonders. We asked him if he heard any rumors.

"Haven't heard anything, boys," K.K. said. "Sorry.

"Wanna come with us?" I asked.

K.K. shook his head. "Afraid I can't. Trying to save up what little money I have."

I was slightly disappointed. Lately I've been feeling a bit closer to K.K. He was the first to try and extend a helping hand towards me.

"Well, I'm off," K.K. said. "I'll see you around."

We said our good-byes and headed into the train station.

* * *

><p>After getting our tickets from Pelly, we headed up the stairs and arrived on the platform. The train was a single car that had orange coating. It was old fashion looking, but it got the job done. I had fond memories of riding the train when I was a kid. Even now it was still fun to ride.<p>

"The time has come," Pence said overdramatically. "Our hunt for the seven wonders begins! What sort of dangers will we encounter? Will we uncover something that is beyond our comprehension? Maybe a monolith that holds secrets to the universe. Or a phone booth that will let us travel through time!"

He put his arm around me.

"The possibilities are endless!" Pence concluded.

I narrowed my eyes at him. That was…a bit too much. Pence noticed that I was giving him a look, and he grinned nervously.

"I'll shut up now," Pence said.

"Yo!" Hayner called out.

We turned to see Hayner and Olette running up to us.

"Whoa!" Pence said in surprise. "Find new rumors already?"

"Nothing on Market Street," Olette said.

"You twerps aren't going to scoop us. We're going to the terrace with you."

"Hayner, it's not a race," Olette said. "Did you hear me say this is a group effort?"

"I have selective hearing," Hayner said.

Pence chuckled. "Wow, two lame excuses in one day? You're getting good at this, man."

"Shut up," Hayner said. "I think having a race will make this project somewhat enjoyable."

"I'm fine with it," I said. "C'mon. Let's take the train together."

* * *

><p>The train didn't have your average seating arrangements. It had two long couches that were up against the walls. If you wanted to get a full view out the window, you'd have to turn around. A little annoying, but the seats were very comfortable. We lounged around as we waited to reach our destination. I was leaning against the seat, and my legs were stretched out. We didn't talk much during the right. Olette took out her crystal, and I looked around to see Hayner and Pence taking out theirs.<p>

I decided to join the fun. I went through my pockets, but a dark cloud soon fell over my happiness as I realized it wasn't there. No way! I couldn't have lost it! Not unless that pickpocket used his crazy magic to grab it. I sighed sadly and lowered my head. Yet another somber start to my day. I had to be optimistic. Could've just left it at home.

But with everything going on, I doubted it.

* * *

><p>Sunset Terrance was another district in Twilight Town. Unlike the busyness of Market Street, the terrace was more of a housing area. There were a few stores, but they were for basic needs. The terrace was a peaceful area. On some days, we'd come to the terrace, sit on one of the houses' flat roofs, and watch the best view of the sunset (hence the name). We'd also watch the trains go by. The moment we pulled up, Hayner and Olette immediately made a dash out the door.<p>

It was on!

Pence and I took our time getting out. Pence wouldn't be able to run for very long, anyways (and I don't mean it as an insult). We walked over to the stairs.

"Are these the steps you talked about?" I asked. "The one's that count different going up and down?"

"Ummm…actually," Pence said, "it's the stupidest thing ever, but…"

"What?"

"Rai's the one who counted the stairs," Pence explained. "He's like, 'Every time I count, it's different, Y'KNOW?' Ha ha ha ha!"

That wasn't a bad Rai impression.

"So…he just counted wrong?" I asked.

Pence nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me that sooner?"

"Sorry. I was trying to be hopeful."

I sighed in disappointment.

"Hey, no worries," Pence said. "There's still six other wonders."

He went through his pocket and pulled out a map.

"And this is going to make our lives a heck of a lot easier," Pence said.

Pence unfolded the map, revealing it to be an image of Sunset Terrance. I noticed certain places marked on the map.

"I marked each location as to where the other wonders supposedly are," Pence said. "Let's try the ally first. That's the closest one."

* * *

><p>There wasn't much to the alleyway. It only led to a dead end. As kids, we'd play cops and robbers down that alley, pretending to corner one another. Now we were kind of iffy about going down there. There was a mugging incidence here one time, so that definitely scared a few people. We stood there in uncomfortable silence, unsure how to approach this.<p>

"Let's head down there," Pence said. "After you."

"Hey, you're the expert on these seven wonders," I said. "You go first."

"Looks like we're both chicken," Pence said. "But I'm more chicken, so you go."

Growing annoyed over wasting time, I asked, "Wanna settled this with rock, paper, scissors?"

"Sure."

I ended up losing.

Taking a deep a breath, I slowly approached the corner of the alleyway. When I reached it, I placed my fingers on the edge. I wiggled them nervously. Who knows what was there? With my luck, Axel would be there, waiting to ignite me into flames. I closed my eyes and counted to three in my head. I ran into the alley and saw a dog sitting there. I was relieved – until the dog started growling at me ferociously.

"Uh, hai doggie," I said. "N-nice doggie."

There was nothing I could use to distract the dog. It wanted to take a bit out of me. The dog barked wildly and chased me out of the alleyway. I ran as fast as I could. The dog chased me for awhile. Eventually I hid behind a bush, and I think it gave up. I poked my head out, and Pence ran over to me.

"You okay?" Pence asked.

I came out of the bush, brushing any leaves off. "Dandy. Certainly wasn't friendly like K.K."

"But I bet it did explain one of those seven wonders," Pence said.

"Why was that even a rumor?" I asked angrily. I was still shaken up. "Anybody could've been behind there!"

"Take it easy, man," Pence said. "There's still five more to go. Our next stop is the tunnel."

Pence and I went over to the tunnel that was going to connect to the rest of the concourse. Right now it was mostly used for the kids to play in. We both stood outside of it.

"People say they hear ghostly moans down there," Pence said with an eerie tone in his voice. "Why don't you head down there and check it out?"

I angrily glared at Pence. Judging by his worried expression, he could tell I was ready to kill him.

Pence chuckled nervously. "Or I could go. I-I'm not doing anything important."

Before Pence got a chance to, Hayner and Olette walked out of the tunnel. I couldn't describe the relief that was on Pence's face.

"Hey, guys," Olette said. "We solved the mystery of the moans from the tunnel. It's only Vivi practicing his sword moves."

"Oh," Pence and I said in disappointment.

In fact, we heard Vivi grunting and shouting. It was followed by a loud thump.

"My spleen!" Vivi cried.

Olette shouted down the tunnel, "You okay, Vivi?"

"I-I'm fine," Vivi said.

"Does he even have a spleen?" Hayner asked. "For all we know he could have a squeedly spooch."

"What?" the rest of us asked.

"Uh, forget you heard that," Hayner said. "Come on, Olette!"

Hayner and Olette left the area. Both Pence and I shrugged to each other. Pence pulled out the map, and we looked it over.

"Two down," he said. "Let's try the rumor about Sunset Hill. They say there's a sack there that moves on its own. Something interesting might be inside."

I was getting paranoid again. What if the guys in white were in that bag, ready to capture me? Either way, I decided to go along with Pence. I'd do anything to get the summer homework done.

"If you say so," I said.

* * *

><p>Sunset Hill was the highest point in the district. It was the best place to view the sunset. I personally disagreed; the buildings had a much better view. But considering how we're not supposed to be sitting on someone's property, Sunset Hill was a 'legal' alternative. The cool thing about Sunset Hill was that the train ran directly below it, so we were able to get a nice, close overhead view of the train.<p>

The top of the hill had a large, round space; it was perfect for people to come and have a picnic. There was also a model replica of the bell tower. I'd say it was a couple of feet taller than me. Both Hayner and I got the top, and we saw the sack in the middle of the area.

Pence leaned in and whispered, "Let's sneak up on it."

The two of us slowly approached the sack. I had no idea as to what we'd fine inside. As we started to grab the string around the sack, it jumped, startling us. The sack started hopping around the area.

"After it!" Pence shouted.

The two of us chased after the sack. And it was fast! I couldn't catch up with it. At one point it stopped in the middle, and when went to grab it, the sack hopped out of the way; I ended up crashing into Pence. What a trickster this sack was, I thought. The sack hopped over the edge of the area, which was surrounded by a wooden fence.

Pence ran after it. "I got it!"

"Pence, wait!" I shouted. He was running right towards the edge.

As I expected, the sack moved out of the way, and Pence's stomach ran into the fence at full force (how did this sack know when to move out of the way?). He almost flipped over completely, but he stopped himself. He was dangling over the fence. I ran over and helped him up. We both saw the sack continue to hop around. I was getting fed up with this game. Using every ounce of strength in my legs, I sprinted right for the sack, leaped at it, and managed to pin it down for the moment.

"Quick, help me open it!"

Whatever was in there put up a good fight. It tried to pull me along, but I held on with all my might. Pence came over and removed the string around the sack. Like a balloon, it started deflating. This was it; the big reveal. What was in there? Something that would give us an A+? That'd be awesome. We waited in silence as something moved around inside the sack. It found an opening and stuck its head out.

Our dreams deflated faster than the sack. You want to know what was in there? That dog from earlier. How did he even get in there? Similar to how I felt right now, he wasn't happy to see us. He let out another growl.

Pence said through his teeth, "On the count of run…RUN!"

Both of us hightailed it out of there, and the dog was right behind us. We ended up back at the terrace, with the dog still chasing us.

"Quick, let's hide over there!" Pence said, pointing towards a large tree.

We hid behind it. I peeked out to see the dog still coming at us.

"It's not working!" I said.

"Over there!" Pence said.

I looked to see Pence pointing at a group of garbage cans. Because you know, dogs were never known for eating garbage. Regardless, I followed Pence over, and we ducked behind the cans. I looked around the can to see the dog running right at us.

"What now?" I asked. "Are we going to hide behind a fire hydrant next?"

Pence smirked. "Ha! All part of my ingenious plan! Cover your ears!"

I did so, and Pence pulled the lids off the cans. He banged them together as hard as he could. The loud noise scared the dog away. We both sighed and leaned against a wall. I was growing tired of this assignment. We haven't made any progress. I was ready to believe that every wonder was nothing more than a hoax.

"This is ridiculous," I said. "I'm ready to give up this hunt."

Pence gasped. "We can't give up! There are still three more wonders! Don't you want to get a good grade?"

"Last I checked…getting mauled by a dog was not part of the curriculum."

"Have a little faith, man," Pence said with encouragement in his voice. "We'll uncover a great mystery. Just you wait!"

I moaned. I might as well see this through till the end. After all, Pence does know where the other three wonders are.

"Fine," I said.

The two of us headed over to the next supposed wonder: the waterfall. It was a tall waterfall that had a white support around it. Imprinted on the support were flower designs. On each side of the waterfall were fully bloomed, purple flowers. When we were kids, we'd always play at the waterfall while our parents weren't looking. There was a space behind the waterfall, and we'd each get a turn sitting behind there, looking at the waterfall from within. Now there was a great secret behind it. But I was skeptical about any of these wonders at this point.

"They say something strange is lurking behind the waterfall," Pence said. "This time we're going to uncover something really special."

"Alright," I said.

We watched the waterfall for about a minute. Nothing happened. The only thing we saw was our reflections. I'm hoping that's not what the mystery was. I was about to give up when I could've sworn I saw something move. I wasn't the only one that noticed; there was a surprised look on Pence's face.

"Did you see that?" Pence asked. "Something is there! We're going to uncover the truth!"

We slowly walked closer to the waterfall. There was more movement going on. We stopped right at the edge, waiting in anticipation. Maybe this wonder would be the one. I couldn't wait to see what it was.

And out popped the dog. He started growling again. At that moment, I think Pence read my mind, as he and I yelled out the same thing:

"OH, COME ON!"

* * *

><p>After losing the dog, we both returned to Sunset Hill, warn out from the chase. We were lying on the floor, catching our breath. I sat up and dropped my head towards the floor.<p>

"H-how did that dog know we were going to be there?" I asked.

"Hey, I don't have all the answers," Pence said. "But that was really weird."

I stood up. "I'm going to find the others. Maybe they're having better luck than we are."

"Wait, I promise this next one is dog-free," Pence said. "It'll be awesome!"

I shook my head and started to turn away.

"I'm not kidding!" Pence said. "Wonder number six is closer than you think…"

I looked down the hill to see Hayner and Olette running up to us.

"We got another lead!" Hayner said. "Uh…why are you guys out of breath?"

"Long story," Pence said. "So what's the scoop?"

"It's the Ghost Train Mystery," Olette said.

"That's nothing new," Pence said. "Everyone knows about Wonder number six."

Hayner crossed his arms, slightly upset. "Yeah, well, I didn't."

"We can see the train come from right here," Olette said.

"What luck," Pence said. He looked at me. "I told you this one would be dog-free."

I nodded. "Then let's check it out."

We walked over to the edge of the hill to see the train track.

"If the rumors are true," Pence said, "it'll be here any minute..."

Being his goofy old self, Pence said dramatically, "For they say the train is empty. No driver, no conductor, no passengers... NO RETURN."

With my luck, there would be a dog on the train. We decided to lie down and wait for a little while. Despite waiting for the train, it was nice to just lie around and do nothing. We hardly had a chance to because of everything going on. Olette and Hayner were talking about making plans to go to the beach next summer, but I wasn't really listening.

For some reason, this wonder really intrigued me. With all the craziness going on, I wanted to believe it was real. I started theorizing about the train, and let's just say they really were stretching the imagination. I was thinking that the train had some connection to everything going on. Maybe it was how the strangers in black and white were coming to the town.

I was snapped out of my train of thought when I heard a familiar voice.

"Good afternoon, slackers," Seifer said.

I turned around to see him looking at us with a smug look.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"What do you care?" Hayner asked.

"I don't," Seifer replied. "Tell me anyway."

"We're waiting for the ghost train," Pence said.

I could tell Seifer was trying to hold back his laughter.

"Waiting for the ghost train," Seifer said mockingly. He burst out laughing. "Just when I thought you guys couldn't get any lamer."

I angrily stood up. I was growing tired of him always picking on us. Seifer glared at me for a moment. I wasn't sure how he was going to react.

"Why does looking at you always tick me off?" Seifer asked.

"I dunno," I said. "Maybe it's destiny."

Seifer scoffed. "Destiny. In that case, let's be friends. I don't feel like cooperating with destiny."

"Since when have you cooperated with anything?" Hayner asked.

"I don't need this from you right now," Seifer said. "I have other things to worry about."

"Like what?" Olette asked.

"What do you care?" Seifer asked.

"We don't," Hayner said. "Tell us anyway."

Seifer smirked at our echo. He turned away from us, placed his hands in his pockets, and looked up at the glowing sky.

"A new disciplinary committee started up today," Seifer said. "Already people are flocking to them like a bunch of blind seagulls."

Saki must've finally green lit his new committee, I thought.

"No one pays attention to us anymore," Seifer continued. "People look at us like a joke. How could this new committee gain the public's trust in one day?"

For a few moments, no one said a word. I guess they felt uncomfortable telling him the truth. I wasn't uncomfortable at all.

"Because your 'group' isn't a committee at all," I said.

"R-roxas!" Hayner said with a shocked tone in his voice.

Seifer slowly spun around to face me. He looked like he was ready to punch me in the face for that one.

"What did you just say to me?" Seifer asked.

"You heard me," I said. "Disciplinary actions don't involve bullying. Your job is to keep people safe, not make them feel bad about themselves! With the respect you show people, what makes you think they'll show you it back? Get a grip, Seifer! This new committee probably does their job the right way!"

Seifer's face was now red like lava. "Are you trying to start something?"

"By giving honest advice?" I replied. "Because there's a huge difference. Why don't you actually listen to the other side for a change!"

I stared right into Seifer's eyes. My comment had to have hit him right in the ego. I continued to stare him down, showing that I wasn't afraid of his threats. I was sick and tired of Seifer treating us like garbage. Someone had to stand up to him. Seifer didn't reply to my comment. Instead, I noticed his intense glare start to loosen. He turned away and took a deep breath.

"Smell ya later," Seifer said calmly.

Just like that, Seifer left. I was shocked that shut him up. Was he really considering what I said?

"Dude, that was gutsy," Hayner said.

I turned to my friends. "I'm just fed up with him, you know?"

"Hey, it was awesome!" Hayne said happily. "Man, I wish I had my camera. I'd play it over and over again!"

Olette rolled her eyes with a smile. "Oh, Hayner."

"Hopefully Seifer will get off our backs now," Pence said.

I hoped so, too.

"Hate to change the subject," Hayner said, "but we've been here forever. I'm callin' it quits."

"I agree," Pence said. "We're wasting time."

"C'mon," I said. "I really believe it's gonna come. Can't we give it a few more minutes?"

"Sorry, Roxas," Olette said. "I do want to get back. We'll think of something else."

"You're not giving it a chance!" I said.

"What's with you all of a sudden?" Hayner asked. "Why are you so interested in the ghost train?"

"Because I want a good grade." That wasn't my actual reason, but I didn't want to tell them my crazy theory that connected to the guys in white.

"Whatever," Hayner said, growing annoyed. "Do what you want. We're going to go wait for the real train. If you're not with us when it shows up, we're leaving without you."

Olette and Pence looked like they wanted to say something, but I'm positive they didn't want to get involved. Without another word, they left. I continued looking over the edge, hoping the ghost train was real.

A few minutes went by. Nothing. Hayner was right; I was wasting time. I got my hopes up, and it blinded me from the truth. I was about to leave when I saw a train coming. It wasn't the one that usually picks us up. It had a light green coating. On top of it was a giant crown, and imprinted on the sides were stars. This had to be the ghost train! I couldn't believe it!

I ran to the train station to tell the others. When I got halfway to the station, I saw Hayner and the others – talking to Seifer! What the heck? But that wasn't my focus at the moment.

"Hey!" I shouted.

Seifer saw me, said one more thing to Hayner, and then left. I ran up to the others, catching my breath.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Pence asked.

"I saw it!" I said. "The stories are true!"

Hayner's jaw dropped. "For real!"

"Yeah," I said. "It's heading for the station! Let's go!"

* * *

><p>When we got to the station, I saw the train parked there. There was a magical quality to the train. It was so unique. I couldn't believe I was looking at an actual ghost train.<p>

"This is incredible," I said. I walked a little closer to it. "And there's really no one aboard!"

I turned to the others. They weren't very responsive to seeing a ghost train. Perhaps they didn't know how to react.

"What's the catch?" I asked. "There's gotta be a catch, right?"

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. What was with them?

"Well, let's go inside," I said.

I walked over to the train. What kind of surprises awaited us behind the door? Ghosts? A passage to a new world? Or, maybe, just maybe, the answer to my problems? I was almost there when I felt someone grab my arm. I turned around to see Hayner.

"What?" I asked with irritation in my voice.

"Um…you'll get hurt," Hayner said.

I didn't understand what he meant. I looked back at the train – I'm sorry, I mean the train that was standing there five seconds ago.

"Huh?" What happened to it? It was right here; in plain sight!

"The train will be arriving shortly," the automated intercom said.

The orange train pulled up and let the passengers off. I don't get it. I saw it! However, I had the feeling my friends didn't see the same thing. Have I gone crazy?

"Come on," Hayner said.

I refused to believe it. I spun around and said, "It was there. It came from the beach. There were no passengers on board!"

"Let's head back," Pence said.

"Olette, you believe me, don't you?" I asked her.

Olette shook her head. This was unreal. I was losing my mind. Before I could try to question this further, I heard Hayner groan, and he pushed me right on to the train.

* * *

><p>The train ride home was miserable. We didn't say a word to each other. I lightly tapped my fingers on my legs, unable to believe that happened. I didn't want to know what the others thought of me now – most likely a nutcase. Would they ever look at me the same way again? Hell, would I ever look at myself the same way again? So many things have been happening to me.<p>

I'm sure everyone, especially Hayner, was getting frustrated with me. I know; I'm thinking too negatively, but each day seemed to be getting worse. How could anyone not start to lose their patience? I know I was! I sighed. Need to pull myself together.

Silence followed us to the train station, and continued to the follow us out the door. I walked behind the others. I wasn't sure what to say to them.

Hayner said in a miserable tone. "Let's go home and work on the paper."

"The rumors were bogus," Pence said. "The end."

"We can still make it sound good if we write about all the work we did," Olette said.

"I'll most likely BS to fill the five page limit," Hayner said. "Fuuuunnn."

I stopped. Something crossed my mind.

"Wait, wasn't there a seventh wonder?" I asked.

"Who cares?" Hayer asked angrily. "It's probably about as riveting as the other six!"

"Well, I care!" I said. "I'm seeing this through till the end. C'mon, Pence. What do you know about the seventh wonder?"

Hayner threw up his arms and exhaled loudly. "Whatever!"

Hayner stormed off. Olette and Pence looked at me as if I was a completely different person. I was starting to think the same thing.

"Roxas…" Olette said.

"It's at that haunted mansion," Pence said.

Both of them left without saying another word. I see how it was. Perhaps I was meant to do this on my own. Everything was starting to become clear. Despite people offering to help me tomorrow, what would they find? Nothing. Everything was in my head. It would all be a waste; people would feel like I wasted their time.

My problems would become their problems, just as I said before. No one understood me; no one ever did. Not even my best friends. From now on it was me against the world. Hey, I'll always have amazing friends like Hayner, Olette, and Pence to be there for me, but sometimes, the only person you could rely on was yourself.

With a heavy sigh, I headed for the mansion.


	12. Chapter 11

**Day 6**

**Chapter 11: Tears of a Nobody**

I arrived at the mansion and approached the gates. I had no idea what I was looking for; Pence wasn't specific about what was here. Ghosts? Who knows. I had a feeling that the guys in white would return to get me. It didn't bother me; I've gotten used to the strange things that have dominated my life, and I would have to face them by myself from now on. I walked up to the gate and placed my hands on the cold, metal bars. I peered through the gate to see if there was anything unusual.

"You know something…"

I was startled, and I turned around to see Pence.

"We were gonna check the mansion out tomorrow," Pence said. "It IS the most suspicious place."

What difference did it make? Chances are I'd be the only who saw anything suspicious.

"Yeah…" I said.

"Oh, get this," Pence said. "Seifer's gang is now on board to help us!"

"What?" I asked in shock.

"I know, right?" Pence said. "It's so surreal. When we were heading to the station, he came over and volunteered to help out."

For a moment I felt like corn plugged up my ears. Seifer, the guy who cared for no one but himself, was willing to help someone out? Especially the one he hated the most? I couldn't believe it. I had to be dreaming right now. I wonder if it had to do with yesterday, when I helped him out during the Struggle; not to mention, when I told him off about an hour ago.

"Hey, the more the merrier, right?"

I nodded. "I guess I'm cool with that. So, what exactly are we looking for here?"

"Well, they say there's a girl who appears at the second floor window even though no one's lived here for years." Pence said.

I looked up at the dusty old window. There was a white curtain gently blowing in the breeze. Funny, I could've sworn I saw Namine there.

I don't know how to explain what happened next. You know how we supposedly have an 'out of body experience?' Well, it was happening to me. I felt like my very soul was ripped out of my body, and thrown right at the window.

Everything went white.

* * *

><p>When my vision became clear again, I saw that I was in a white room. It was so white that I thought I'd go blind. In front of me were the white curtains. I know what we're all thinking: <em>Cream<em>, right? Thought so. Why wouldn't anyone think of that band? Anyways, in front of me was a long white table. Resting on the table was a white vase with white flowers. What kind of weirdo lived here? Better yet, how did I get here?

"Hello?"

No answer. I noticed pictures on the wall. Upon walking over to them, I noticed they were drawn with crayons. Some of the pictures looked nice, like the one of a giant island. Others were scribbles. Three in particular caught my eye. The first one was Kairi holding her star fruit. Did someone sketch my dreams out or something?

"Roxas…" Namine said.

"Namine?"

Her voice came from my right. I looked in that direction; nobody there.

"Where are you?" I asked.

She didn't reply. I looked around the room some more. My eyes came in contact with another picture. It was Axel – standing next to him was…what?

"Is that…me with Axel?"

"Yes," Namine said. "You ARE best friends…"

"Yeah, 'cause all of my friends yearn at the prospect of setting me on fire," I said sarcastically.

There was a long pause. I think she was serious. Besides, those weren't the best choice in words.

"I'm sorry," I said sadly. "I haven't been in a good mood lately."

"I understand," Namine said. "There's so much on your mind. Wouldn't you like to know the truth about who you really are? It would alleviate your problems."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "No one knows me better than me."

"Of course," Namine said.

I strolled around the room, looking at the pictures some more.

"But I don't get what's been happening lately," I said. I glanced at another picture. "Did you draw these? They're nice."

"Thank you," Namine said. "No one's really complimented me before. You're as sweet as he is."

"Who?" I asked.

"Look at that picture to your right," she said. "Do you recognize those three?"

The picture featured three familiar faces doing Ring around the Rosie.

"Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi," I replied. "They're the ones from my dreams."

"About a year ago, some things happened, and I had to take apart the memories chained together in Sora's heart. But now... I'm putting them all back exactly the way they were. It's taken me a long time, but pretty soon Sora will be his old self again. The process has been affecting you, too, Roxas."

It all made sense now. Somehow, Sora's memories were having an effect on me.

"You mean…the dreams?"

"Yes," Namine said. "You and Sora are connected. And...in order for Sora to become completely whole again... He needs you."

I looked at a picture of Sora and I standing next to each other.

"Me? What for?"

"You hold half of what he is... He needs you, Roxas."

Before I could open my mouth, everything went white. My vision returned, and I was sitting at the end of the long table. On the other side of it was Namine. How was she doing this?

"Namine…do you mind if I ask you a question?" I asked. "What are you?"

"I'm a witch with the power over Sora's memories and those around him."

"A witch?"

Namine looked a little sad. I had a feeling she didn't like being labeled with that word.

"That's what Diz calls me."

"Who?"

"The guy with the red bandages."

"Oh. Is he like your caretaker or something?"

Namine shook her head. "I can't say. He tells me that I'm nothing more than a curse. I can't even figure out why I have these powers."

I felt bad for Namine. Clearly she was of no value to Diz.

"Hey, don't listen to that old geezer," I said. "You've been helpful to me so far. You're far from being a curse."

Namine smiled at me. I could tell that was the best thing she heard all day. I glanced at the picture of Axel and me.

"It's funny," I said. "Suddenly I feel like I don't know myself at all. I guess I would like to know. What do you know about me...that I don't?"

Namine hesitated. I had a feeling what she knew wasn't good.

"You...you were never supposed to exist, Roxas."

Hearing that was like a knife getting jammed into my ears. Never exist? It almost implied that I was a mistake, never really meant to be here, but somehow I'm sitting in this chair, breathing. There were many ways I could interpret what she said, but in the end, it was horrible to hear someone say that right to your face.

"What? How could you even say such a thing...even if it were true?"

"I'm sorry. I guess some things really are left unspoken."

"But…what about everything else going on?" I asked.

* * *

><p>Suddenly, I heard Pence calling for me. Everything went white again.<p>

"Roxas! Roxas!"

I was outside of the mansion again. Pence was shaking me. I shook my head and snapped out of my daze.

"Huh?"

"What happened?" Pence asked. "You were out of it."

I shrugged. "Guess I was focusing too much on the window."

"Did you see anything?"

"Yeah." I pointed to the window. "Watch the window – closely."

I looked back to see that Namine was gone. And here we go again.

Pence sighed. "Oh, lame. That's just the curtains moving. There must be a draft somewhere. I'm surprised this old place even has curtains."

I noticed Namine in the window again. There was no point in arguing with Pence. No matter how hard I tried, he wouldn't see it.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Well, let's head back to the Usual Spot. Hayner and Olette are waiting for us."

Pence left the area. As I followed, I looked back at the mansion. Namine's blow crushing words stuck like glue. It was impossible to shake such a depressing thought off. I was hoping Namine would solve my problems, but instead she made things worse. And I didn't have the emotions to express such a revelation.

Once again, I was alone.

* * *

><p>We saw Olette when we walked into the Usual Spot.<p>

"Hey, guys, how'd it go?" she asked.

"The girl in the window turned out to be a curtain flapping in the wind," Pence said.

"I figured as much," Olette said. "The report is done."

Pence cheered "All right!"

"Hayner headed for the station when we finished," Olette said. "Let's go have some celebratory ice cream with him."

Pence grinned. "You read my mind."

What was there to be happy about? Homework was the least of my problems; my life was falling apart.

We walked to the station, carrying our ice creams in hand. At least I had something salty and sweet to eat. Hopefully that would take my mind off things.

"Man, I can't believe we only have two more days left together," Pence said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Summer vacation, remember?" Olette said. "

"Oh, right," I said.

I don't know why, but I literally felt like I had two more days before I'd never see my friends again. I was really losing it.

* * *

><p>We walked onto the edge of the clock tower, and there was Hayner eating his ice cream. He looked at us and smiled.<p>

"Nice of you to join me," Hayner said. "Feels so good to be done with that paper, right?"

"Right," I said sadly.

"You okay?" Hayner asked.

"It's nothing," I replied.

"If it's about earlier, I'm sorry I got annoyed with you," Hayner said. "I wanted to get the project done."

"It's not that," I said. "There's still a lot on my mind."

I looked down towards the ground. I didn't feel like eating my ice cream. No one said a word to me for a few moments.

"Listen, I know this week has been rough," Hayner said, "but tomorrow we're going to find out what's been going on."

I said nothing.

"I know!" Olette said. "While we search tomorrow, let's have a picnic! It'll be a nice change in pace."

"Awesome idea!" Pence said. "I got the meat!"

"I'll get the silverware," Olette said. "Hayner, would you get the condiments?"

"Sure thing."

"And I guess I'll buy some bread," I said.

"Cheer up, man," Pence said. "Try to enjoy the last few days. Tomorrow we'll search the town. And the day after will be the fair. That should be fun!"

"After that, the last day of summer vacation," Olette said.

Hayner moaned. "Don't remind me! You're going to give me an ulcer."

"Not if you explode from all that ice cream first," Pence said jokingly.

They started laughing. Pence's joke didn't help at all. My life was a wreck, and I felt like it would never get better. Perhaps that's why I'm not supposed to exist; like Namine, I was burden, and nothing would ever go right for me.

* * *

><p>I walked home by myself. My friends were under the impression that they, along with the whole town, were going to make a difference. I knew the truth; it was a waste of time. No one would believe me. No one understood what I was going through. They couldn't. I continued strolling through Twilight Town, wondering what my fate was. Maybe my only option was to find Sora. Question was: what did I have to give Sora in order to make him complete?<p>

As I walked up Market Street, I saw K.K. playing his guitar. He waved to me, but I was in no mood. I heard him stop playing.

"Hey, kiddo," K.K. said. "What's wrong?"

I looked over my shoulder. "It's not your problem."

"Is that so? 'Cause when I see my main man down in the dumps, it BECOMES my problem. I'm not going to ignore it."

I was starting to get annoyed with him. "I don't want to talk about it, okay!"

"Whoa! Chill out!" K.K. said. "I understand you're upset with whatever it is, but have you forgotten what I said the other day? It's not good to keep this stuff bottled up. I told you I'd understand."

"Don't give me that!" I shouted. "No one understands me! Not you! Not my friends! And frankly, I don't understand myself anymore!"

"Well of course nobody's going to understand if you keep it bottled up!" K.K. said. That was the first time I heard him raise his voice.

I walked over to him. "It's complicated. Ever since the photo incident, nothing's been the same. The world is crumbling around me! I don't know what's real anymore! So many bad things have been happening to me, and it's probably because of my mere existence. It's been affecting everyone in town! Maybe I was better off NOT existing!"

"Roxas…."

I stopped right in front of K.K.. I was starting to break down. "It's too late for that now! The only person I can trust is myself. I'm….I'm…"

My vision drowned in a pool of tears. They started streaming down my cheek. I felt…sad. Beyond sad. I was actually experiencing an emotion, and I wish it went away, because it was such a depressing feeling. I looked at K.K., who smiled warmly at me.

"…alone."

I burst out crying and hugged K.K. tightly. I felt K.K. wrap his arms around me. He stroked my back and tried to hush me.

The night ended with the sound of my sadness echoing throughout the city.

* * *

><p>In a dimly lit room, Diz sat in a huge chair. The table in front of him was crushed by a chandelier. There were old statues standing on each side of the room. This was a perfect place for him to lounge around.<p>

Diz was growing anxious; one more day before his plan would succeed, but the final day was the most crucial. And the most nerve-racking. Anything could happen. Hopefully the Organization wouldn't interfere. He needed to get out of the computer room and give his mind some space to breathe.

Ansem walked into the room. "Why did you show him the train?"

"Because he missed his trip to the beach," Diz answered.

Ansem chuckled underneath his hood. "That's almost kind of you."

"Now...what about you? Are the holes in your memory starting to fill in?" Diz asked.

"Yes," Ansem said. "The haze is clearing."

"The same thing is happening to everyone who had ties to Sora," Diz said. "Very soon, to them, he'll be like a good friend who's gone away for a year."

"Namine…she is a danger to everyone," Ansem said. "Could she possibly affect other people that aren't tied to Sora?"

"Perhaps," Diz said. "It's not outside the realm of possibility. Nobodies are unpredictable. First she only affects Sora's memories, then it somehow spreads to every person he met. Her powers are inconsistent."

Ansem sat in a chair opposite of Diz. "I've waited, and now I want to know. What is it that you want?"

"Revenge," Diz said.

Ansem tightly gripped the arm of the chair. He was trying to suppress his anger. All this time, Ansem thought that by performing these tasks for Diz, something incredible would happen. Instead, Diz's motivation was nothing more than a selfish desire. Ansem was being used like a puppet, and he despised people pulling his strings more than anything.

"Revenge…" Ansem mumbled.

"Now, for the finishing touches. First, we must dispose of Naminé. She did a splendid job with Sora, but it's high time she disappeared. Roxas isn't the only one who was never meant to exist. Take care of it, Ansem."

Ansem nodded, stood up, and left. As he walked out of the room, he started to form his own personal agenda.

* * *

><p>RESTORATION AT 97%<p> 


	13. Chapter 12

**Day 7**

**Chapter 12: The Parting of Friendships**

A story was coming to an end.

The dream started with Sora and his friends in a mysterious world that was uninhabited; there was only a purple floor and small little islands. Towards the horizon was a giant ball of energy.

"So, this all that's left of the worlds taken by the heartless?" Yoshi asked.

"If we beat Ansem," Sora said, "those worlds will become restored, right?"

There was a flash from the screen. Sora and his friends were now on a platform, confronting two giant, floating, gloved hands.

Sora continued in a voice over. "But, if we do beat him and all these worlds become restored and disconnected, what's gonna happen to this place? And to us?"

The scene changed to Sora confronting Riku on the beach. Riku transformed into Ansem, much to Sora's disappointment.

"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end," Ansem said. "The heart is no different. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."

Sora and his friends battled the tyrant in a dark world. Ansem was connected to a giant dark beast; they were connected to a giant pink vessel of some sorts. However, it looked organic, able to wiggle parts of itself. Sora and his friends bravely battled through this monstrosity.

"I'll admit: the heart can be weak," Sora said. "And sometimes it can give in. But I've learned, through the experience of my journey that deep down there is a light that never goes out!"

There was another flash, and Sora was holding a powerful yellow keyblade; using it, he finished Ansem off. Another flash showed a weakened Ansem reaching for the door to light.

With every ounce of energy, he shouted in an overdramatic voice, "KINGDOM HEARRRTTTTSSS! FILL ME WITH THE POWER OF DARKNESS!"

"You're wrong," Sora said. "I know now, without a doubt, Kingdom Hearts is light!

A giant white door opened, releasing a powerful light that consumed the seeker of darkness. Once again, the screen flashed. A portly little man wearing a red cap, red shirt, and blue overalls stood in a dark room with long, strange structures in the background. He held a keyblade in the sky; it was an inverse of Sora's – the blade was gold, and the handle was silver.

"Now, Sora! It's-a-time for us close this door for good!" the man said with a heavy Italian accent.

Sora and his friends pushed the door closed. There was a sense of sadness in the group as they locked the man inside. Sora looked up and saw Riku through the crack, smiling at him one last time.

"Take care of her," Riku said.

After the door closed, Sora leaped back and pointed the keyblade into the air. The magic from the keyblade locked the door, and it disappeared from everyone's sight. Sora had completed his mission, but at a hefty cost. Another flash; Sora ran up to Kairi as a beach started to take form underneath her.

"Kairi!"

"Sora!" she gasped.

The two grabbed each other's hands, but a powerful force was pulling them away. Tears were starting to drizzle down Kairi's eyes. She didn't want to lose Sora, not after the feelings she had for him were starting to rise to the surface.

"Kairi, remember what you said before?" Sora asked. "I'm always with you, too. No matter how long it takes, no matter how old I get, I will come back to you! I promise!"

"I know you will!"

And the force pulled the two away from each other. Sora watched in sadness as Kairi got further and further away from him. No matter how hard they called to each other, their voices could not reach, and the love they shared was silenced by a barrier.

Everything went white.

* * *

><p>The white faded. Sora and his friends were traveling down a long, dusty road in the middle of a giant green field. The four walked at a leisurely pace.<p>

"So what do we do now?" Luigi asked.

Sora put his hands behind his head. "We've gotta find Riku and Mr. Mario."

"Yes," Toadsworth agreed. "That shouldn't be so hard."

Yoshi then stopped, realizing something.

"But, uh, how we find giant door to light?" Yoshi asked.

Another flash. A young turtle creature was standing before the four. He had yellow skin, a spiky green shell on his back, and black cufflinks on his wrists. The turtle also wore a white bib that had sharp teeth drawn on it. The turtle let out a mischievous smile, revealing his only giant tooth. He held up a white envelope. Imprinted on the front of the letter was a red mushroom symbol.

"That mark on letter is Mario's seal!" Yoshi exclaimed.

Toadsworth gasped. "Only Master Mario uses that kind of insignia!"

"Do you know where Mr. Mario is then?" Sora asked the turtle.

With a cheeky giggle, the little turtle ran off with the letter. There was more static. Sora ran ahead of everyone, and turned to them.

"Let's go!" Sora said excitedly.

Zeros and ones filled the screen briefly. It was nighttime. The only sources of light came from the stars that shined brightly in the sky. Sora was walking down the path by himself, looking for any hopes of finding an end. The flickers from the screen started to become violent, and were appearing much more often; it was like someone was continually shaking the antennas of an old television.

Sora arrived at a crossroad, where the path went off in three separate directions. Sora looked at the paths. Suddenly, he felt a strange presence behind him. Looking behind him, he saw nothing. Something startled him, and when he turned back, he saw a cloaked man looking right at him. The man quietly hovered away, and disappeared into the darkest part of the night.

The flashes continued to get worse; to the point where it was hard to make out what was going on. There was a brief shot of Sora walking up to a strange castle, but before any detail could be made about it, the screen burned out.

Like the old television, the memories became as blank as the monitor.

* * *

><p>Back on the dark beach, the cloaked person was seen approaching the person sitting on the rock.<p>

"I've been to see him," the man on the rock said. "There is no mistake about it – he looks a lot like you."

"Who are you?" the second person asked.

This time his voice was heard. It sounded exactly like Roxas.

Everything went white.

* * *

><p>In the dark city, a large group of monsters with pitch black skin and yellow eyes magically tunneled their way out of the ground. They surround a lone figure who wore the same mysterious cloak. The figure remained motionless for the moment, not showing the slightest sign of fear from the overwhelming odds. He swung open his coat and brought out two keyblades – an elegant silver one, and a powerful dark one. He spun the blades around until they hit each other, discharging a spark as a result.<p>

The hooded figure held both keyblades at his side, ready to fight the swarm of creatures. One tried to attack him, but he effortlessly cut the creature in half. He leaped to his side to avoid another one, and retaliated, destroying the creature. Two creatures came at him from each side. He thrust his blade directly left, but the creature swung its claw at the tip of the blade, stopping the attack. The creature on the right leaped into the air and spun its body like a top. It tried to attach the person's right foot, but he shifted his body to face the creature, and he lifted his foot to avoid the incoming attack.

The hooded person brought his right down and destroyed the creature. He turned around and slashed horizontally across the creature that previously blocked his attack. He stabbed at a creature in front of him, but it hopped back to dodge. Immediately, another one leaped out from the crowd and tried to pounce on him. He swung his right blade over his head to kill the creature. The hooded figure made his way through the army of creatures, cutting through them with little effort. At one point, four creatures tried to attack him, but he spun and twirled his body around, blocking their ruthless attack.

He swung both blades outward, forcing the creatures to back away. Looking over his shoulder, he saw another one prepare to leap at him. He turned around and kicked it aside. He brought his left keyblade down diagonally to slash another one, and he did the same with the right keyblade. Two more leaped at him, but he crossed his blades like an "X" and brought it up to block their attacks. After pushing them back, he did a huge back flip over the legion, and landed outside of the circle. His back was near a building. The hooded person stayed in a kneeled position, and swung his blades back to kill two creatures that appeared behind him.

A few of the creatures tried to pounce on him, but he leaped to his left, and he quickly ran for it. Unfortunately, with the amount of creatures pursuing him, it would not be long before he was backed into a wall. The hooded figure started running faster, avoiding any creatures that came at him. Finally, he leaped for the side of a wall, kicked off of it, and spun towards the right. He held his blades out to kill any of the creatures that jumped at him. He landed back in the middle of the circle. Unlike a tornado, he was not safe, even for a second, in the eye. Two creatures leaped high above him and prepared to strike. The hooded figure leaped high into the air to dodge them. Five creatures leaped after him, encompassing him in a circle. He easily disposed of three creatures, and as he fell, he threw one of his keyblades to dispose of the other two.

The keyblade reappeared in his hand, and he did another huge back flip; this time he landed on the façade of a skyscraper. Near the top of the skyscraper were a bunch of huge television monitors. Nothing was playing on them. He took a moment to catch his breath. Looking around, he saw more creatures appear. Some were climbing the gargoyles, and others were slowly making their way up the stairs. The hooded person gritted his teeth. He wasn't expecting to face so many of these creatures. There was no way he'd be able to defeat every single one.

The hooded person looked up the skyscraper. It was his only chance of escape. Standing at the top of the skyscraper, looking down on the whole ordeal, was a person wearing the same black coat. Unlike the other cloaked figures, this person was not wearing a hood, fully exposing his face. It appeared to be Riku, who wore a blindfold over his eyes. How he was able to see while wearing that masked was a complete mystery. The hooded figure barely noticed Riku at the top.

The hooded person defied the laws of physics by leaping on the building and running up it. Dark creatures continued to chase him up. Some crossed his path, but he cut through them. Upon getting closer to the top, he threw the black keyblade like a boomerang at a line of creatures that stood in his path. Without letting a rational thought tackle his nerves, Riku leaped off of the skyscraper and grabbed the keyblade. The two exchanged glances at each other as they went by.

There was a flash. Both Riku and the hooded person were now in the middle of the ring of creatures, standing back to back. However, the creatures disintegrated. Apparently they managed to dispose of the creatures. Suddenly, the two people left standing betrayed each other. They turned around and leaped away from each other. Riku ran right at the hooded person and swung his blade upward, but the hooded person blocked by bringing his blade up horizontally. Riku swung his blade across, and the hooded person swung his down to counter.

The hooded person spun around to get some distance from Riku. Holding the keyblade in his right hand, the hooded person swung for Riku, who curved his blade downward and blocked the attack. Riku lifted his arm up, sliding his blade across the hooded person's blade, and lifted it into the air. Riku quickly readjusted his blade and brought it down with both hands. The hooded person leaped back, and tried to counter with a thrust; Riku side stepped to avoid. The hooded person turned around and swung his blade across to deflect another attack.

The hooded figure was about to bring his blade down, but Riku leaned left to dodge. The hooded person tried to bring his next attack in horizontally, but Riku put his blade straight up to block. Riku pushed his blade down, as he tried to reach the hooded person's head. The hooded person slid his blade down Riku's, brining right up the tip of the silver haired boy's blade.

The hooded person pushed Riku's blade up, and he spun back. Riku tried to attack again, but the hooded person leaped away. As he landed, he summoned a ball of light energy from his keyblade and threw it right at Riku. Riku barely had time to react; the attack was fast. He put his blade out to stop the attack, but the force of the impact knocked Riku back a couple of feet. He ended up landing on the ground. The hooded person walked over to him, with a triumphant smirk peeking out of his hood.

Riku sat up, catching his breath. The hooded person looked down at the silver haired boy.

"Why!" Riku asked. "Why do you have the keyblade?"

"Shut up!" the hooded person replied. Again, he sounded exactly like Roxas.

The hooded figure brought his keyblade down on Riku.

* * *

><p>I woke up from my dream; probably the most intense one yet. Never mind Sora's dreams; what the heck was all that other stuff going on? Not that it mattered; the whole world was keeping it a secret from me. I slowly sat up and got out of bed. Today I was feeling much better. All of the depressing thoughts I had about loneliness were gone. For the most part. I felt like a new person. I was ready to embark on a quest with the citizens of Twilight Town. Our goal: to discover the truth.<p>

I opened the windows and looked outside. Pigeons flew by, startling me for a split second. After they went away, I continued looking over my town. There was no better place I'd rather be right now. I knew that the town would always keep me safe from the outside world. It was like my security blanket; it provided me with comfort.

And I hoped it would always stay that way.

* * *

><p>I headed for Market Street to grab bread for our picnic. On the way I greeted a few of the people, but they didn't respond. They didn't even acknowledge my presence. Odd. As I continued to Mama's bakery, I saw the rail that K.K. usually sat on. He wasn't there. Too bad. I wanted to thank him again for all he did. Pouring my emotions out helped take some of the pain away. I was ready to tell K.K. the whole story, but he told me to go home and sleep everything off. I'm glad I did. Crying makes you tired. I'll see him later. I had shopping to do.<p>

When I got to the bakery, I noticed it was empty. Oddly enough, the store was opened.

"Mama?" I asked. "Are you here?"

There was no answer from the back. She was probably busy. I bet she had to take care of some shipments or something. Fortunately the counter had shelves that were stocked full of sandwich rolls. I grabbed a bag, left the money on the counter, and left. I'll see her later as well I wouldn't be surprised if she was helping out with the hunt.

* * *

><p>I arrived at the Usual Spot. Hayner, Pence and Olette were already there, talking to each other.<p>

"Morning," I said. "I got the bread!"

They didn't response. Them too? What was going on? I approached them and reached my hand out for Hayner.

"Guys?"

My hand went right through Hayner's back. I couldn't believe my eyes. I instantly dropped the bread. Every voluntary part of my body was just as shocked as I was. They continued talking to each other, joking and laughing. Please let this be a dream! I've put up with so much, and I made it by because of my friends. Don't take that away from me. They're all I have. They turned to face me. I put my hands out to stop them, but they went right through me.

The new vitalized feelings I had were gone; they ran out the door with my friends. I was alone again. And this time, I think it was for good. I may not be able to experience emotions, but with my friends, I felt like I had those emotions. I felt alive. But not anymore.

I saw a picture on the furnace. I picked it up and noticed it was the one of me and my friends outside of the mansion.

But I wasn't in the picture anymore. It was like I was never there to begin with.

Suddenly, I remembered what Namine told me – how I wasn't supposed to exist. What if the laws of nature were trying to correct that mistake? Another emotion started to emerge: panic. Stuffing the picture into my pocket, I ran outside of the door, calling for anybody. I'd even settle on a hello from Seifer. Somebody answer me!

Not a soul. This was hopeless. What do I do? Wait for my fate to be decided? I wouldn't stand for it! I exhaled and started to think of a way out of this mess. But I didn't get very far. Guess who showed up and blocked each exit? I'll give you a hint: they're tall, white, and have been a real nuisance. The only area not blocked off was the entrance to the Usual Spot. But that was occupied moments later by a dark portal. Out of the portal came Axel.

"Good to see you again, Roxas."

At least someone acknowledged my presence.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Did you do this?"

"No way. Can't pull something like this off," Axel said. "I think you know why I'm here."

How could I forget? I stood my ground as he summoned his two weapons again.

"Look at what it's come to," Axel said." I've been given these icky orders to destroy you — if you refuse to come back with me."

So what now? I was the prey cornered by the carnivores. No matter what my options were, I'd end up losing. Axel said the other day that he would tell me everything, but I wasn't willing to trust him. I had to find the answer myself. But how do I escape? I decided to use the information Namine gave me about Axel and I. Maybe I could play to his emotions and make him vulnerable.

"C'mon, isn't there some way we can work this out?" I asked. "We're…best friends, right?"

Axel rubbed his head. "Sure, but I'm not getting turned into a Dusk for…"

Axel's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Wait a second! You remember now!" Axel asked.

"Y..yeah.."

"Great!" Axel said with excitement in his voice. "But, you know, gotta make sure and all. So, umm... What's our boss's name?"

I winced. I should have seen that coming. The silence showed my big, fat lie. A sad look appeared on Axel's face. That was the first time I've seen the guy upset.

"I can't believe this…"

Before he got a chance to sic the creatures on me, I summoned the keyblade, turned around, and cut one of them in half. It was strange; I had the power to summon the keyblade at will. In fact, fighting with the keyblade felt natural now. The second one curled into a ball and flew right at me. I held my keyblade like a baseball player about to bunt a ball. The creature flew into the keyblade, bounced off of it, and unfolded itself right above. It was upside-down, standing on nothing but thin air. He thrust his sharp claw at me, and I titled my head right to avoid it.

I thrust my blade right at it, but it leaped onto the ground and stood right side up. The creature slashed me right across the chest. I took a few steps back, clutching my chest to lessen the pain. The creature tried to swipe at me with its right claw, but I swung my blade across to block. It tried attacking with its other claw, and I brought my blade up to intercept.

I spun around, grabbed the keyblade with both hands, and brought it down on the creature. It stepped backwards slightly to dodge. It tried attacking with its right claw; I quickly repositioned the keyblade so that the tip was facing down, and moved it up to deflect the claw. The creature spun the other way and tried to attack with its opposite claw. I titled my blade left to block.

Finally, I kicked the creature's arm up, repositioned the keyblade again, and just barely managed to stab it in the chest. The creature shouted in pain as it took a few steps back. I ran forward to finish the creature off. Get ready for this: I felt the keyblade pulling me, and, at amazing speeds, I started dashing back and forth, slashing the creature apart. Whatever I was doing was extremely helpful.

After performing the last attack, I brought the keyblade down and finished the creature off. I turned to face Axel, who was frowning at me. I didn't want to know what he was thinking about right now; probably wondering if he wanted me rare, medium, or well done. Wow, I do make bad fire puns.

Axel snapped his fingers, and some creature with huge spiky wings spun out of the ground. I leaped back, narrowly missing the spikes. To further beat my brain with an illogical hammer, the creature jumped into the ground. Its wings were the only things sticking out. How do I hit it? My keyblade couldn't penetrate the ground like that. It moved along the ground like a shark in the water. It started flailing its wings at me. I ran as fast as I could. I had to escape. There was no way I could beat this enemy in his current state.

When I got to the exit, a wall of fire appeared.

"I'm not letting you escape this time!" Axel shouted.

I spun around to see the winged creature coming right at me. At that moment, I got an idea. Axel made a big mistake just now. I got as close to the firewall as I could. When the creature started flailing, I rolled out of the way, and the wings ran into the wall. As the creature hissed in pain, I grabbed its wings and held it against the fire.

Eventually, the creature gave up and came out of the ground as a giant circle. I slashed right across it, knocking the thing back a few feet. I tried to attack again, but it stuck both of its wings at me like a switchblade. I moved back to avoid getting skewered by the wings. I brought my blade down on the wings, but the creature retracted them. I threw my keyblade at the creature, and it put its wings up to block. But when I called the keyblade back, I threw the keyblade again, completely catching it by surprise.

The attack hit the winged creature, knocking it back. I ran at the monster and started beating away at it with a string of combos. Again, no idea how I was doing it. I finished the creature with an upward slash, and I turned to face Axel. Friend or not, defeating him was the only way I'd escape.

I ran at Axel, leaped into the air and brought my blade straight down. Axel simply held his right weapon up to block. Axel tried to punch with his left, but I brought my blade up to block. I shifted my blade the other way to block his right punch. I stepped back slightly and brought my blade straight down. Axel put both weapons up to block. I slid the blade back and aimed for his foot.

Axel swung his right weapon in to deflect the attack; he stepped forward and swung his left weapon at my head. I slightly ducked, and spun all the way around; I prepared to swing the blade straight across when I facing him, but Axel placed his weapons near his chest and blocked it. I brought my blade away, stepped forward, and swung down, but he spun around to avoid the attack.

The two of us clashed out weapons together.

"Not bad," Axel said. "You've gotten stronger."

He pushed me to my right, and I ran into the wall. I turned around and rolled out of the way to avoid his next attack. I tried to swing at him, but he dodged it and went past me. When I turned around, he elbowed me right in the cheek. Before I got a chance to recover, Axel delivered a powerful kick that knocked me right into the gate of the Usual Spot.

"Too bad it's not enough," he said.

Axel violently swung at me. I backed into the Usual Spot, doing what I could to parry.

Inside, Axel swung at me again, but I hopped left and onto the couch. Axel threw another punch, but I kicked it aside. I tried to counter with a thrust, but Axel brought his other weapon up to block. Axel tried to trip me with a sweeping kick, but I leaped off of the couch and ran over to the corner.

Axel ran over to the dartboard and pulled the darts out.

"Little boys shouldn't carelessly leave pointy objects out," Axel said.

Axel threw the darts at me, and I rolled out of the way. When I got back up, I felt a dart penetrate my knee. The sharp pain kicked in right away. It felt like a weight lifter was pinching my knee. It hurt so badly.

"Oh, look," Axel said. "I had one left."

I placed my hand on the dart and pulled it out with all my might. I shouted as I felt the needle slide through my skin. The pain was intense, and I was worried it would ruin my concentration.

"No fair," I said.

"What? Were you expecting an honorable duel or something?"

I got to my feet and ran at Axel. Unfortunately, the pain was too distracting. I swung at Axel slowly; he moved aside and kneed me right in the stomach. He finished his assault with a kick to the chest, which knocked me onto the ground. I tried to sit up, all while grunting from the intense pain in my knee. Looking up, I saw Axel standing over me.

I was tired. Axel managed to melt my stamina into a weak little puddle. With the intense pain in my knee, it was difficult to concentrate. Man, I should've let Pence put the darts away!

"Axel!" I said.

"Sorry, kid," Axel said. "Orders are orders."

Axel raised one of his weapons. This was it; I was finished. I braced myself for Axel's final attack. I was going to be as dead as the town I once cherished. I pictured everyone in my mind one last time. That was the last comforting image I wanted to see.

But nothing happened.

I heard Axel grunting; it sounded like he was struggling. Opening my eyes, I saw Axel restrained in the same cufflinks the surfer guy was in.

"No…not…now…." Axel said.

I noticed Axel looking over his shoulder. I looked in his direction. I thought my jaw was going to drop and run away at what I saw. During these last few days, some pretty strange things have happened. But this goes beyond anything I've seen. It was like reality was crossing paths with the strangeness.

It was K.K.! He held his paws straight out at Axel, and his eyes were glowing green. I thought my mind was going to shut down. I couldn't process what was going on. How was K.K. doing this? Better yet, what WAS K.K.?

"Hey, no one lays a hand on my bud while I'm around!" K.K. said. "You dig?"

Axel chuckled. "Actually, I've…been…expecting you…poochy."

"What?" K.K asked.

K.K. suddenly released his grip from Axel. He was frozen right in place. After a few moments, K.K. fell onto his stomach. Behind him were two of the guys in white. No. Just no. This wasn't happening. It was like a dramatic scene in a movie; everything was in slow motion. Witnessing one of my closest friends get struck down was the worst thing to ever happen; it hurt more than my knee.

I was spaced out for the moment, unable to accept what just happened. Axel got onto his feet and walked over to K.K. I heard K.K. grunting. I couldn't see him; Axel was blocking my view.

"Good work, boys," Axel said. "Did you honestly think your little trick would work a second time?"

"I did…what I had to do…" K.K. said weakly. "Roxas…does not belong…to you or the old man."

"How noble," Axel said. "A program that actually has a heart. Too bad you're about to be deleted permanently."

He was a program? I was so confused, but that was the least of my concerns. Axel was about to kill him, and here I was, powerless to do anything. I felt a pain in my chest, and it grew at a rapid pace. Axel had gone too far. He could do whatever he wanted to me, but hurting my friends was the worse crime you could commit. I was now angry. I wasn't going to stand by anymore.

Axel raised his weapon, preparing to strike. I got to my feet and slashed across Axel's back. Before he could recover, I pushed him aside. I leaped over K.K. and furiously killed the two creatures. I had no idea where that strength came from. Adrenaline? I needed to get angry more often. Regardless of what K.K. was, I would defend him. He was still my friend.

I leaned onto the floor and helped K.K. sit up.

"K.K.! Are you okay, buddy?"

K.K looked up at me weakly. It was so hard to look at him in his condition.

"Run for it, kid. Don't worry about me. I'll keep Axel busy."

"Not happening!" I said. "You think I'd turn my back on a friend?"

K.K. chuckled. "Why did I know you'd say that?"

"Never turn your back on a friend?" Axel said. "I'm afraid you can't make that claim."

I looked to see Axel approaching us. Surprisingly, he wasn't injured at all from that last attack. K.K. wasn't the only one I wondered about.

"You once turned your back on someone," Axel said, "and look where you ended up! Now you're willing to risk your neck for a worthless program?"

I nodded. "Whatever he is, he's still my friend."

"So you would take a fake friendship over a real one?" Axel said with anger in his eyes. "Wake up! This THING has been lying to you the entire time! I've been trying to save your skin!"

"At least K.K. never tried to kill me!" I shouted.

Axel remained silent for the moment. He and I stared into each other's eyes. I was not going to back down from him protecting a friend. Axel's enraged look loosened moments later, and he became sad again.

"Guess I have to face facts," Axel said. "The Roxas I knew is long gone. You're nothing more than an opposition to the Organization."

He prepared to strike. I got my keyblade ready. Axel was no longer holding back.

"And it's my job to take traitors like you out!"

Before Axel could attack, he stopped dead in his tracks. Like the other day at the Struggle, he was frozen just like the audience. I was relieved, and also confused.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"The old man temporarily stopped him with a program," K.K. explained. "He's giving you a chance to escape. Better split; the program won't last long."

"Not without you!" I said.

There was a pause. K.K. was thinking about something.

"It's too late for me," K.K. said. "Axel's buddies did enough damage to….erase me."

I was now extremely worried. "Don't say that! You'll be fine!"

Suddenly, K.K.'s body started to slowly fade away. I fought back the tears in my eyes. He was the only friend I had left.

"K.K…I don't want you to…"

K.K. smiled warmly. "It's okay, kid. My usefulness has ended. It's time for this dog to move on. At least I can disappear knowing that I tried to make a difference in someone's life."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

My breathing was heavy. I felt K.K. wrap his paw around my hand, trying to calm me down. The warm touch of a friend's hand was what I needed right now.

"What Axel said was true," K.K. said. "I did lie to you, and I'm sorry for that. The guilt got the best of me. I was coming to help you escape from this town. But Axel's interference sort of complicated thing."

Escape from Twilight Town? Were these creeps going to do something to the town? Leaving this place was the thing I dreaded the most, but it got to a point where I had to consider that option. Suddenly, I heard the voice of the old man – the one Namine referred to as Diz – and he didn't sound happy.

"You traitorous, mutt!" Diz said. "How dare you go against your programming to help this burden!"

"It's your own fault, man!" K.K. said. "When you got the nose, you got the heart! A free will cannot be subjugated by any means!"

Diz laughed. "Free will? How ignorant. You don't even have the slightest inkling as to what Roxas is."

"Which is why I spent the most time with him while you stared at a monitor," K.K. said. "Right?"

"Enough," Diz said. "Roxas, leave this pitiful thing to its fate. You must go to the mansion. The time has come!"

"The time has come?" I asked.

No response. Diz probably did not want to say anymore. I didn't know what to do. Should I go along with what the strange man said? It seemed like I had no choice.

"Roxas, do what you feel is right," K.K. said. "Diz has no right to make decisions for you."

"I wish you'd come with me," I said sadly.

K.K. sadly put his head down. There was another pause. He was starting to fade away a little bit faster.

"Could you at least tell me what you are?"

"Nothin' more than a security program," K.K. said. "Trained to sniff out and dispose of any foreign entities."

"Just like what you did with that surfer guy. That wasn't a dream, then!"

"Oh, yeah," K.K. said. "We had to cover that up, so we reprogrammed the townsfolk to think you simply fainted. Sorry about that."

I put my arm around K.K. and tried to hold up what little of him was left.

"I felt guilty keeping this secret from you," K.K. said. "No one deserves to be treated this way. You have a strong spirit. Don't let anyone take it from you."

"K.K…you're such a great friend. I'm gonna miss you."

"I will too," K.K. said. "But this ain't the time to get sentimental. Get outta here before Axel starts moving again."

K.K. was right. I still had no clue as to what was going on, but I had to keep fighting. I had to put K.K. behind me for right now and stay strong. I wasn't going to let anyone capture me.

"Thank you, K.K.," I said. "I was wrong about yesterday. I'm never alone."

As K.K. faded out completely, he said, "Never forget that."

He was gone forever. I tried my hardest not to cry. This was not the time. At least one of us wasn't a prisoner of this town anymore. I would always keep K.K. alive in my memories, and think of his motivational words as I continued my journey. I hurried out of the Usual Spot, leaving the past safely behind the gates.

* * *

><p>AN: This chapter is dedicated to my cat Luigi, who had recently been put down. May he rest in peace.


	14. Chapter 13

**Day 7**

**Chapter 13: Painful Memories **

I ran as fast I could, not once looking over my shoulder – ignoring the lingering pain in my knee. I arrived at Tram Common, and stopped to catch my breath. But my break was short lived.

"Search every part of town!" Axel shouted.

I noticed Jessie's Drug Store. I leaped behind the counter and stayed low. Axel and his gang arrived, looking at each store. At one point, one of the guys in white came over to Jessie's store. I pressed my back against the counter; the creature looked over it. I remained perfectly still and held my breath. The creature leaped over to search the room. As he went to the back, I hid behind one of shelves.

The creature continued searching. Go away, go away! Finally, the creature left the store. What a relief.

"No luck?" Axel asked. "Okay. New plan."

I crawled over to the counter and slowly poked my head out. They were gone. Safe for now. I turned around and pressed my back against the wall. I hugged my knees and buried my face in them. I couldn't believe this was real. Everything I cherished was gone. All I had left was a giant key, and a picture that reminded me of a time when things were carefree. But it was hard to imagine being a part of those days when you're not even in the picture.

I sat in silence, trying to let everything that happened soak into my brain. I don't know what Hayner, Pence, and Olette's fates were, but K.K. was gone forever. From now on, I'd have to play his songs in my mind. They were the only comfort I had. Axel; I had a feeling he wouldn't show me mercy the next time we meet. No one would be there to back me up.

I lifted my head upon realizing something – there was still one friend I could count on. I needed to get to the mansion. I got to my feet and grabbed some peroxide and a Band-Aid for my knee. I had to prepare for the road ahead; I had a feeling that once I enter the mansion, I wouldn't be coming back.

* * *

><p>I arrived outside the gates, keeping the keyblade close to me. It was time to put an end to all of this mystery. I would do whatever it takes to get the answers I want. Even if it killed me. Before getting any further, I felt a presence behind me. Turning around, I saw five guys in white surrounding me from all corners. I backed up until my back hit the gate.<p>

"Don't call me and then lock me out," I said.

I thought about what to do. I could fight them with the keyblade, but given how they were surrounding me, this fight wouldn't end well.

Wait! The keyblade! I remembered seeing Sora use it to unlock pretty much anything. Was it possible? I turned around and fired a little energy stream at the keyhole. The giant keyhole was consumed by light, and it vanished. The gates opened, and I made a mad dash for the door. I opened the door, got inside, and slammed it behind me. Another close call. But these guys were getting restless. I had to keep moving.

I've never been in the old mansion before. I wasn't missing much. The main hallway was square shaped, with pieces of wood and other random materials spread out throughout the room. The walls and floors were made of light-red bricks. The room was lit up by four giant rectangular shaped windows located straight ahead of me. Above the windows was the second floor. Two stairs were on each side of the windows, leading to the second floor.

I called out for Namine, and then covered my mouth. The sound of my voice echoed throughout the room. Shouting wasn't the best way to draw attention away from yourself, moron! As if on cue, two of those creatures with the weird legs showed up. But they were different. Turns out that the legs were actually its arms, and it had a small body. Like before, they walked slowly at me.

I summoned the keyblade and easily took out the one on the right. When I turned to face the other one, it magically turned into a sword and swung at me. I leaned back to dodge the attack. Holding the blade with my right hand, I brought it straight down on the creature, but it turned into a shield to defend against my attack. After it pushed me back, it flew right above my head, and turned into a sphere.

I hopped back to avoid becoming a human shish kabob. As it got stock in the ground, I cut it in half. I felt something scratch my back. I stumbled forward, wincing from the pain. Spinning around, I saw two more guys in white. I ran the other way, and another two stopped me in my path. My only choice was the stairs. While running up the stairs, a sphere flew right by me and hit the rail.

That gave me an idea! I grabbed the sphere and pushed it against one of the guys in white that was following me. Using all of my strength, I pushed it back, and it crashed into the others, creating a domino effect down the stairs. After getting to the top, I ran down the left hallway. I remember seeing Namine look out the left window, so that's where I had to go. On the way, more creatures tried to get in the way, but using the keyblade, I knocked them aside.

I was near the door when one of the creatures tackled me to the ground. I wiggled my body and struggled to break free. Its grip was strong. I pressed my hands against the floor and pulled with all my might. Still no luck. I elbowed the creature in the face a few times until it let go. I got to my feet, ran into the room, and slammed the door shut.

I exhaled. Safe again. I was in the white room. I knew I wasn't hallucinating. How could anyone forget a room with such blinding walls? All of the drawings Namine made were there, too.

"Namine?"

I looked around for her. My eyes couldn't help but look at her drawings. They were the only pleasant things to look at in this room. Eventually I came across another painting that caught my eyes. It was me; I was wearing that gray cloak. And from the looks of the background, I was in a dark city. The one from my dreams? How did she know all this?

A powerful buzzing sound invaded my ears. At first, I thought it was somewhere in the room, but the sound soon turned into pain, squeezing my brain with its palms. I clutched my head, trying to lessen the pain, but it continued to get worse. The crushing feeling got tighter and tighter.

Until everything went black.

* * *

><p>My dreams were nothing more than memories. Each time I fell asleep, a piece of the past came to invade my dreams. And I wasn't sure I'd like the images being shown to me. For this memory in particular, I was walking down the street of a dark city. Every detail of the dream was vivid: from the rumbling of the distant thunder, to the cool breeze blowing in my face. The town itself looked like if Twilight Town plummeted straight into my nightmares. The place was also deserted. Not a soul around.<p>

Before I got any further, a familiar voice called out to me.

"So your mind's made up?" Axel asked. "You're really going to cast everything away like this?"

I looked over my shoulder to see him leaning against a wall.

"Why did the keyblade choose me?" I said. "I have to know."

Axel angrily turned to me. "You can't turn on the Organization!"

* * *

><p>"Roxas?"<p>

That voice. Please let it be her. I opened my eyes to see Namine looking down at me. I was still a bit groggy, but I managed to sit up. I rubbed my temples. Thankfully the throbbing pain in my head was gone. Namine kneeled down to me.

"Are you okay?"

Words alone could not express how relieved I was to see her. Without even a second thought, I hugged Namine with all my might. I rested my head over her shoulder. For the first time in awhile, I felt safe, as if I was in my mother's arms. I was so happy to be with a friend again. And I absolutely loved the feeling of being happy. Namine slowly wrapped her arms around me, and gently tightened our embrace.

I think she was just as happy to see me.

* * *

><p>We sat at the table in complete silence. Funny. I've been searching for her this whole time, and yet my brain couldn't cough up even a word to say. Namine looked at me sadly. Something was definitely on her mind.<p>

"Roxas…I'm sorry about what happened to K.K.," she said.

Oh, yeah. How could I forget that? The image of K.K. disappearing was still glued to my head. A painful memory of that magnitude was too hard to talk about. I simply shook my head and closed my eyes. I felt Namine's soft hand stroke across mine. I looked up to see her smiling at me. Her smile was all the encouragement I needed.

However, there were so many things on my mind. The first was the Organization. It seemed that I was a part of this group.

"Namine…what do you know about this…Organization XIII? Are they bad guys?"

Namine took her hand away. "Good or bad, I don't know."

"Now that I think about it: wearing dark coats isn't exactly good guy material," I said.

Namine chuckled. "Well, their motives aren't clear. All I know is that they're incomplete beings who wish to become whole. To that end, they're desperately searching for something."

"What?"

"Kingdom Hearts."

The giant door Sora closed. I figured they'd be after something that important. So, technically, I was after it too. Everything was getting complicated (understatement of the year). Instead of being sad about it, I chuckled.

"Funny?"

"It's just, I think – I've been running away from the question I really wanna ask."

I stood up from my seat and leaned against the table. Forming the words was difficult, but I had to know.

"What's gonna happen to me now? Just tell me that. Nothing else really matters anymore."

There was complete silence. I was hoping Namine would tell me the truth. I just couldn't live this lifestyle anymore. If I were to die, I'd at least want answers as to why it was happening.

Namine began to say, "You are…"

Suddenly, Namine flickered. Don't tell me she was a program, too!

"Namine?"

Namine's body broke into tiny cubes and vanished completely. Alone again. And I thought for sure I was close to the truth. It was an endless cycle. The man wearing bandages – who I assumed was Diz – appeared right behind Namine's chair.

"There's no knowledge that has the power to change your fate," he said.

I wasn't going to let him intimidate me. "Even if it doesn't, I wanna know. I have the right to know!"

"A Nobody doesn't have a right to know. Nor does it even have the right to be."

A Nobody? Was he saying that as an insult? No. That's what I..was?

"But what IS a Nobody!"

A burst of dark energy appeared right beside Diz, and the pickpocket appeared next to him.

"Diz, we're out of time," the pickpocket said. "Too many Nobodies!"

Another portal appeared next to Diz, and Namine came out of it.

"Roxas. Nobodies like us are only half a person. You won't disappear! You'll be whole!"

"I'll…disappear?"

Diz turned to Namine. "No further outburst!"

"No, you won't disappear! You'll—"

Diz stood behind her and covered her mouth. She struggled to break his grip.

"Wait!" I shouted.

I ran towards them, but the hooded man blocked my path. I gritted my teeth. I carelessly fought this guy already. There was no way I'd get past him. Namine managed to release her grip from Diz.

"Roxas! We will meet again. And then we can talk about everything," Namine said. "I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me. But we will meet again. Someday soon. I promise!

"Let her go!" I shouted.

Diz and Namine vanished through the portal.

"Namine!" I shouted.

And they were gone. I lost Namine again. I looked at the hooded man; I wanted to take my anger out on him, but doing so would be a mistake. The hooded man went through his pocket and pulled out a crayon.

"Catch."

He tossed the crayon to me.

"What's the deal?" I asked.

"Go to the opposite room from here," he said. "There should be three circles engraved on a table. Draw a crown symbol in the middle one."

"And if I refuse?"

"You don't have a choice," he said. "I'm giving you the easy way out."

Might as well take it. I had nothing to lose at this point. There was no way they'd let me see Namine again. Diz didn't want her to tell me squat; he'd keep her away from me at all costs. I nodded. The pickpocket opened the door and fired a ball of dark energy at the creatures waiting out there. They all got knocked back.

"Go!" he said.

I hurried out of the room, and made my way to the other side. On the way, I fought against a few of the creatures. It wasn't long before I entered the next room. It was a miniature sized library with a large table in the middle. Just as the guy said, there were three yellow rings engraved on the table. I'm guessing one of the bookshelves was going to open, revealing some sort of secret laboratory.

As I leaned against the table, I let everything sink in. A Nobody. That's what I was. And I'm half a person. Was Sora the other half, and did I have to fill in the empty void? This was crazy; my life has been full of tricks and lies. I didn't know what to believe. I wasn't sure if I could even trust Namine.

I drew a crown on the circle, and when I connected the lines, the circles started glowing. The circles spun until they came back into place. The glow got brighter and brighter until it was practically blinding me. Another light appeared under the table, and it started to engulf the entire floor. Having a gut feeling, I ran back to the door. When I turned around, the light started dimming, and when it vanished, the entire floor was gone, revealing a lower level.

Creative. I'll give them that. I took a deep breath. It was time to see what awaited me. I walked over to the stairs slowly. I wanted to take my time. This could be my last moments on this planet.

Hayer, Pence, Olette – I'll never see you again. I wish I could've said good-bye to you, but at least I'll always remember the times we shared together.

The downstairs area had blue and purple walls. When I reached the bottom, I saw a door and entered it. I arrived in a computer room. I was greeted by gentle hums from the machines. Looking around, I saw the projection of ones and zeroes on the wall. To my right I saw the computer. Certainly wasn't a gaming computer, that's for sure. I walked over to it and looked at all the different monitors. They had strange looking codes flying across the screen, and charts that didn't make any sense to me.

Suddenly, the pain in my head started returning. Worse than ever. It was like a giant boulder was slowly crushing my skull. It was so unbearable.

I blacked out again.

* * *

><p>I found myself sitting in another room. It was a white, circular room. I looked up to see twelve other cloaked people sitting in really high seats. A couple of them weren't wearing their hoods, but the only one I recognized was Axel. He looked at me and grinned. I looked at my hands. I was wearing the cloak as well.<p>

There was a flash, and I was running through the dark city, panting real hard. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the guys in white chasing me.

Another flash. I was standing over the blindfold guy, who was sitting on the floor, holding a black keyblade in his hand.

"Why? Why do you have the keyblade?" he asked.

I raised my keyblade. "Shut up!"

I brought it down, but he somehow blocked it, sending me flying back. He moved so fast. I had no idea how he did that. I ended up on the floor, unable to move. The blindfold guy stood up and started to approach me. I ended up fainting.

As I woke up, everything was blurry. I was in the computer room. Both Diz and the pickpocket were looking over me like a helpless creature.

"Will it work?" the pickpocket asked.

"If we can maintain the simulated town until Naminé finishes chaining together Sora's memories."

What?

"What will happen to Roxas?" the pickpocket asked.

"He holds half of Sora's power within him. In the end, he'll have to give it back."

Diz turned and sat at the computer.

"Until then, he'll need another personality to throw off his pursuers," Diz continued.

This can't be.

"Poor thing," the pickpocket said.

"It's the fate of a Nobody," Diz said.

A purple light flashed right in my eyes.

* * *

><p>I sat up, gasping for air. My dream was finally over, but the nightmare wasn't. I couldn't believe it. I've been a prisoner here this whole time; my only purpose was to fulfill someone else's needs against my will. I was angry. Beyond angry. Now I really wanted to smack something. I stood up and saw the computer. This stupid piece of junk! You're the reason I'm here! You locked me up like some animal unaware of his fate! Unlike the pickpocket, you can't fight back!<p>

I took out the keyblade and hacked away at the machine, destroying every piece. Sparks flew out of the computer. I didn't care if I got electrocuted; right now, my rage was doing the talking. I continued slamming the keyblade into every monitor. Finally, a voice in my head told me to stop. I leaned over and panted from the amount of energy I used. I felt a little bit better after letting my anger loose, but the damage was done. It wasn't going to reverse anything that happened.

I had to face facts: the time I spent in Twilight Town wasn't my real life. Everything was a fake, including my own identity. But somehow, it still felt real to me. So what if Diz created everything? The experience I had in Twilight Town would never be forgotten. My friends would always exist in my heart. Even now, I could hear the laughter of my friends. I went through my pocket and pulled out the picture of Hayner, Pence and Olette standing in front of the mansion.

It was the only piece of the town I had left. But like the town, I had to let it fade. While I'll never forget my friends, this world was not meant to be a part of my life. And that's how it needed to stay. I heard the sound of a door opening to the left. Time to keep going. I placed the picture on the broken computer, and I headed into the next room, leaving the past forever.

However, the memories would never die.

* * *

><p>The next room was large, but empty. In the middle of the room was a glowing green square. As I got closer to the square, the Nobodies (I guess that's what the guys in white were called) appeared in front of me. I summoned my keyblade. I wasn't going to run anymore. I'll take them all on. They'll have to kill me before I even think about going with them.<p>

I ran at the Nobodies and swung at two in the middle. They both leaped back to the wall. The other two came in from each side. I turned to the right, ducked underneath the nobody's head-butt, and slashed right across its chest. I looked over my shoulder to see the other one ready to strike. I held my blade horizontally, grabbed the tip with my free hand, turned back half way, and elbowed the creature. Next I released my hand from the tip, placed it on the handle, and turned around to destroy the creature with one mighty swing.

The two remaining nobodies leaped at me, but I did a back flip to avoid their attacks. I ran at them, slashing my blade through the hip of the one on the left. The nobody on the right swung his claw at me, but I smacked it away with my left hand, went past it, and then turned around to face it. I thrust the blade at the nobody, but it blocked with its right claw. It tried to attack with its left, and I thrust the blade again to block.

The other nobody leaped into the air and prepared to bring its claws down. I took a few steps back and put my blade up to block the attack. The creature rammed its head into my stomach, knocking me back. I had to fight the pain. I was not giving up. The nobody tried to attack again, but I used the sliding move to get behind it and kill it.

The last nobody came up to me, preparing to strike. I turned slightly and brought my blade up. I pushed the nobody's claw up, turned all the way around, and rammed the handle into its stomach. I then swung my blade back and forth across the creature, finishing it off for good.

The party wasn't over yet. A winged nobody tackled me straight to the ground. Its body was wrapped around mine. I tried to shake it off, but its grip was too strong. I noticed it flashing every so often. The flashing started getting faster. I had a bad feeling about this. I rolled on the ground, trying to shake it off of me, but it wouldn't budge. I tried slamming my back against the ground; still no results. Finally, after struggling as hard as I could, I managed to break free. I rolled away just as it was about to explode.

I got to my feet and saw one more fly at me. It stuck both of its wings at, and I leaped back to avoid the attack. I threw the keyblade at the winged nobody, slicing it in half, and causing it to disappear.

Unfortunately, this battle was just the appetizer. I heard clapping, and turned around to see Axel standing there. There was a blank expression on his face.

"You never fail to impress me, kid," Axel said.

"Axel," I said. "

"You really do remember me this time?" Axel asked.

I nodded. Axel smiled at me. This guy was unpredictable, so I had to keep my distance for now. Maybe he would give me a second chance.

And then, in a sudden burst of rage, he yelled, "I'm SO FLATTERED!"

Axel's rage appeared in the form of a giant fire wall; it surrounded us from all sides. Already the heat was intense. Any moment I was going to start sweating.

"But you're too late!" Axel shouted.

There was no escape. I had to face Axel by myself, and only one of us was going to walk away. But I wasn't hesitant, despite him being my best friend. I wasn't a part of the Organization anymore; I was their enemy, and if Axel wasn't going to hold back, why should I?

An image flashed before my eyes. It was of Riku and Kairi. I summoned the keyblade, but instead of summoning the one Sora used, I summoned two of them. A silver one and a dark one. I spun them together, and got into my battle position. It seemed all of the moves I learned from my time at the Organization came back to me. I was ready for Axel's assault.

"Two!" Axel asked surprised. "No problem! I get double the fun!"

Axel lowered his head, and his two weapons appeared in a blazing light. After he grabbed both of them, he looked at me with a smirk.

"Don't take it personal, kid," Axel said. "It's my job to sniff out traitors!"

"Are you sure the traitorous one isn't the person who chose his job over his friend?" I replied.

Axel said furiously, "Okay, wiseguy! Let's see if you skills are as sharp as your tongue!"

"You got it!"

Both Axel and I ran for each other. It was boiling in here. I'm not sure if I'd last long in the heat. So to take my mind off of it, I pictured my friends cheering me on.

"_Go get 'em!" Pence said._

"_You can do it, Roxas!" Olette said._

"_You're the man!" K.K. said._

"_Roxas! Focus!" Hayner said. _

That was all I needed. My toughest fight was about to begin. Axel and I leaped into the air and clashed our weapons together.


	15. Chapter 14

**Day 7**

**Chapter 14: The End of One Story…**

Axel swung his right fist at me, but I swung my right blade across to counter. Now it gets redundant. When I swung my left blade across, he blocked with his left. Axel tried to punch me with his left again, and I brought my right blade up to knock it back. After bringing it over my head, I brought it straight down, but Axel used his right weapon to block. I quickly swung my left blade at his head, but he ducked underneath the attack.

After completely turning around, I swung both blades at his feet, but he hopped over the attack. Axel swung his left weapon towards my head, but I brought my left blade across to block. Axel pushed me back slightly and attacked with his right. I brought my right blade in diagonally (the tip was facing downward) to block it. Axel threw a punch with his left, and I pointed my left straight up to block. I thrust my right blade at him; he backed up slightly and brought the flat surface of his weapon up to block.

Next, he kicked my blade up, and he swung both his weapons straight across. I leaped back, landed safely, and ran at him again. I held my weapons at my sides, as did Axel. We both brought them up diagonally and got into a lock. I felt the intensity of the heat, and the static from our weapons. The intense look in Axel's eyes showed just how he seriously he was taking this fight. In our first fight he was cracking jokes, but now it was nothing but pure rage. What happened?

While holding our positions, we both ran across the room sideways. After stopping, we both released our grips. We continued swinging our weapons back and forth at each other.

"Idiot! What did you think would've happened when you left?" Axel asked angrily.

I spun my body around to deflect more of Axel's attacks. I swung both blades in towards his head, but he ducked underneath them. He countered by upper cutting my blades. I lost my balance for a second, and Axel swung his weapons at me. I had no choice but to fall onto my back. Axel threw his left weapon at me, and I rolled to avoid it. When I sat up, he threw his right one. I brought both blades up to block the spinning attack. It continued to push against me; eventually I pushed my arms up, knocking it into the air.

"I took my chances!" I replied. "I wanted to know the truth. And no one was going to stop me, not even you!"

"I was trying to be a good friend and protect you!"

I threw my right blade at him, but he did a cartwheel to avoid the attack. Catching one of his weapons back, he threw it me as I started standing up. I brought my blade up to deflect it. I ran at Axel again; at the same time I summoned the right blade back to my hand. Axel had both of his weapons back, too. I thrust my right blade at him, but he side stepped. Axel delivered a round house kick, but I hopped back to avoid it. Axel's back was now facing me. I brought my blades down on his head, and he pointed his weapons over it to block. Axel spun around, and pushed my blades down until we were in another lock. Axel removed his top hand and elbowed me in the chin. He repositioned his arm and decked me in the face.

I reeled back, feeling the burning strike of the blow. I was tired of him besting me. I angrily brought both blades on his shoulders and slid them straight off. Axel shouted in pain as he stumbled backwards. When he looked at me again, he was furious. I swung my blades again, but he blocked them with one weapon. His other weapon had an orange glow. He swung it right into my stomach, knocking me back several feet. After I landed, I sat up and threw my blades at him. Axel brought his weapons together to block. The blades continued spinning, pushing him back slightly. They started glowing with power, and finally they knocked Axel back; he landed on the ground.

Axel and I seemed to be evenly matched. This might take awhile.

We got to our feet and stood ready to fight again. I was starting to get tired, but I wasn't going to give up no matter what.

Axel lowered his head. "Why…why…does it have to…be this way?"

Dark energy started to swirl around Axel's body. Whatever he was planning to do, I had to stop him before he finished. I ran at Axel, preparing to attack. Axel looked at me, smirking evilly.

"It's time to burn, baby!"

Axel slammed his weapons into the ground, and a huge stream of fire appeared in front of me. I stopped and leaped back. However, it was about to get worse. The ground transformed into what I think was magma. Already I felt the heat start to push its way through my shoes. Any second I was going to start tap dancing, but again, I had to focus on my opponent. Axel came at me and and went berserk; I barely got an attack in. He was beyond furious (if that was possible).

I continued backing away, while at the same time swinging my blades to keep him at bay. I turned around at one point and saw that I was very close to the wall of fire. Axel wasn't letting up anytime soon. Axel swung his left fist at me, and I swung my blade across to block. Axel attempted to attack me with his right, but I moved my arm back slightly, made the blade face down, and blocked it. With my other blade, I tried to swing at him, but Axel leaped back a good distance.

We both ran at each other. After clashing our weapons, we both went past each other. I turned around and swung both weapons across, but Axel ducked under them; I went passed him. Looking over my shoulder, I saw him preparing to attack with his right fist. I jabbed my left hand backwards, blocking the attack with the handle of the keyblade. I turned around and swung my right blade straight down; he blocked with his opposite fist. We swung our weapons back and forth again. Eventually, I tried twirling my blades over my head, but he blocked both of them. He kicked me in the face; I went straight back. I heard one of his weapons fall on the floor, and soon enough, he grabbed my shirt with his free hand. He punched me twice with his weapon. The burning power of the attacks made my face scream in agony.

Before Axel got a third hit in, I kicked my right foot into his side, forcing him to release his grip. I swung both blades across his chest – in an upward position – and knocked him onto the ground. I thrust both blades at him, but he spun away and got to his feet. He threw one of his weapons at me, and I leaped over it. I spun my body around like a saw, hoping to get him from above. However, all I heard when I attacked was the sound of clangs. After landing, I was about to turn around, but he slashed right at my back.

I fell onto my chest. The ground was so hot. I thought my chest was going to melt from the heat. I rolled onto my back and saw him coming for me. I swung my right blade across the floor and knocked him onto the ground. I swung my blade straight down, but he rolled away to avoid it. I quickly got onto my knees, as did he, and we both clashed our weapons again. Looking into his eyes, I saw that the intensity hasn't changed. At all.

Both of us rolled back and got to our feet. I ran at Axel again.

"Time to change things up!" Axel said.

I swung at Axel, and he leaped back, right into the wall of fire! I threw my keyblade into the wall, but he was gone. Man, he could be anywhere in there. I scanned the area nonstop.

"What's wrong?" Axel asked. "Can't find me? Shame. I can see you just fine. And no matter where you try to run to, I'll always be right behind you."

I literally looked behind me. No one there. Stay cool, man; he's messing with you. Taking a deep breath, I continued looking around the area. I tried running to the other side, but he flew out in front of me, with a trail of fire behind him.

Axel laughed. I swung at his back, but he did a back flip over my attack. He leaped back into the wall. I looked around again. This was getting ridiculous. Attacking the walls wouldn't help. I was like a blindfolded archer trying to hit a moving target. All I could do was wait for him to make the next move.

Suddenly, a stream of fire rising out of the ground came right at me. I ran for dear life. When I turned the corner, the stream continued following me. There was no end. Axel leaped out in front of me, smirking.

"Dead end!" Axel said.

"Oh yeah?"

I prepared to attack with my blades. Axel put his weapons up to block. At the last second, I put my blades down, kicked against Axel's weapon, and pushed myself to the side. I looked over my shoulder as I ran; Axel had caught the attack between his two weapons, and was squeezing it together like a sandwich. I stopped and turned around.

Axel threw the ball of fire at me. I swung my blades across to deflect the attack, but it was too powerful. It exploded, knocking me onto the ground. The burning pain was everywhere now. I was exhausted. I struggled just to stand up.

Axel crossed his arm. "See the mess you've gotten yourself into? I know you're too thickheaded to give up, but if you just followed orders, this wouldn't have happened."

I continued struggling to stand up. I didn't know how much longer I could keep going. Maybe this was my fate – death at the hands of your former best friends. All hope seemed lost when I remembered the Struggle tournament. I pictured my friends cheering me on. Real or not, they'd want me to keep fighting.

"Wh-what's your point?" I asked.

I finally got to my feet and stared right into Axel's eyes.

"I don't regret what happened," I said. "In fact, I wouldn't have met such incredible friends if I didn't."

Axel rolled his eyes. "They weren't real. Nothing more than fabrications created to give you a false sense security. When are you going to get that?"

"I totally get it," I said. "But to me, they were real. They gave me strength during my time there. Heck, with the exception of K.K., they were programmed to believe I was there friend. That's good enough for me. They might be gone now, but they'll always be with me."

I got into my battle position again, feeling a whole lot better.

"My friends are my power!"

Axel scoffed. "You're corny. Fine! I'll just have to put an end to this nonexistent friendship!"

I ran at Axel and swung my right blade at him. Axel put both of his weapons up to block. I swung my left at his head, but he lowered it and spun around. When he turned around, I crossed my blades together and thrust them right into his stomach, which knocked him back. I brought both blades down and slashed right across his chest, knocking him onto the ground again.

Axel got into a kneeled position; he looked shocked. Guess he didn't think I'd have some fight left. I tried to bring my blades down, but he leaped into the fire. Oh, no. That trick won't work a third time! I was ready for him.

Axel leaped out from above me.

"Take that!"

Axel tried to bring his weapons down, but I leaped out of the way and threw my keyblade at him, knocking him back. I ran at Axel again, and he leaped into the air. I followed in hot pursuit. Both of us swung our weapons back and forth. Finally, I saw an opening and slammed Axel into the ground. The force of the attack somehow brightened the area for a moment. I leaped away from Axel, and as I landed, I notice that the floor was normal again. Well, that's one nuisance down.

I looked up to see Axel getting to his feet. That look of anger was still stuck to his face.

"Okay, kid! I've had enough of this!" Axel said. "I was going to go easy on you with this attack last time, but now you leave me no choice!"

Axel started glowing bright orange. Axel released his two weapons and they both spun above his hands. They got larger and turned into fire disks. I sweated; he was pulling out all the stops. He was willing to slice me into little pieces. Axel threw the right one at me, and it spun along the ground. I did a cartwheel right to avoid it. When I stood up, the other one came right for my chest. I knocked it away with my left blade. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the first one come at me from above. I turned around and caught it with both blades. The second soon joined the clash.

The discs were too strong for me to push back. I had only one option. I fell onto the floor and let the discs go by. I turned around to see Axel had caught them. He brought them together, creating one huge disk. He held it above his head.

Oh, crap.

"Roxas…I'm sorry…

I looked up at Axel. Perhaps there was still some remorse he felt from doing this. And for some reason, I felt the same way.

"So am I…"

Axel threw the huge disk at me. I had to time this next move perfectly. The disk flew right at me, getting closer and closer. I felt the pressure of the attack hit my face. It was now or never. I got onto my knees and jammed the dark keyblade into the ground. It caught the disc, but wouldn't last long. I leaped back, ran at the keyblade, hopped onto it, and pushed myself into the air. I held the silver keyblade over my head and brought it straight down on Axel.

I noticed that he shielded himself at the last second, but the attack was powerful enough to knock him back. I heard him shout in pain. I summoned the dark keyblade back to my hand, and waited for Axel's next move. Axel still had his arms crossed.

Axel grabbed onto his right shoulder and leaned over. He was panting heavily. The wall of fire died down until it was completely gone. Axel was beaten – hopefully for good this time. Axel weakly looked up at me.

"Why don't you get it over with already?" Axel said.

I heard sadness in his voice. Something tickled my brain. It was another memory.

* * *

><p>We were back in the city. I turned away from him.<p>

"You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!" Axel said.

"No one would miss me," I said.

I walked away. Whatever I was doing, I'd stick with it till the end of time. As I said, no one would get in the way of my dream. However, I stopped when I heard Axel whisper something.

I thought he said, "That's not true. I would."

I looked over my shoulder to see him walking away. Despite not being able to feel emotions, his sadness clutched onto my heart.

"I'll miss you, too," I whispered back.

* * *

><p>Axel truly was a good friend. It took me until now to finally understand how much he meant to me. I put my keyblades away. There was no way I could bring myself to kill him. He was only following orders.<p>

"Axel…I…can't…"

Axel looked up at me with a smile. "Save it. I tried all I could. But I have no control over you, man. A free will cannot be subjugated by any means."

I was shocked to hear Axel say that. No way was that was coincidence. Axel chuckled when he saw my reaction.

"Not every part of my body was frozen," Axel said. "Gotta say, your friend is pretty wise for a mutt."

There was a pause. Axel took slow, deep breathes to recover from the fight.

"Sorry about what I did to him," Axel said.

"At least K.K. no longer has to follow that old coot's orders," I said.

Axel smiled. "Good point." There as another pause. "Whatdya say? Want to meet again in the next life?"

I didn't know what the next life was, but I had a feeling I would soon discover it.

"Sure. I'll be waiting."

A dark stream of energy surrounded Axel. He chuckled again.

"Silly. Just because you have a next life…"

The energy overtook Axel. Just like that, he was gone. I walked over to the spot where Axel once stood. I wish I had more time to reconnect with him, but given the circumstances, that won't be happening. Yet another friend was taken away from me, but like the others, he would always be a part of my memories.

I guess that's what K.K. meant when he said I'll never be alone.

* * *

><p>The next room I arrived in was a hallway. Ahead of me were strange looking pod-things. It looked like I was in the middle of an alien movie. How appropriate – everything happening was still alien to me. I passed by one of the pods and noticed something was inside of it – or rather, someone. It took me a second to process who it was, because I was unable to believe it. Peering through the pod, I saw that it was Toadsworth, the chronicler of Sora's journey.<p>

"I'm losing my mind," I said.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Yep, it was Toadsworth. You could practically touch him. He was sound asleep. I looked down the hallway. My jaw slowly dropped upon seeing who was in the next two pods.

"Luigi….Yoshi?"

Sure enough, they were there, too. To say this was surreal would be an understatement. Why were they here? And would that mean Sora was here, too? Now I was curious, though I'm not sure where my curiosity would lead me. I walked down the hall and saw another door. I approached it, but instantly came to a stop. Something inside of my brain was pulling on my feet, telling them not to go through with this.

But as I said before: what did I have to lose at this point? I was ready for anything. I took a deep breath and walked through the door.

* * *

><p>The next room was huge; so huge that I couldn't even see the walls. The room was also brightly lit. Ahead of me stood Diz. He smiled upon seeing me. Behind him was a really big pod. Could…he be in there?<p>

"At last, the keyblade's chosen one," Diz said.

"Who are you saying that to?" I asked. "Me? Or Sora?"

"To half of Sora, of course," Diz said. "You reside in darkness. What I need is someone who can move about the realm of light and destroy Organization XIII."

"Why?"

"You need not be concerned with that," Diz said. "As an opposition to the Organization, we might as well be on same side."

"Are you kidding?" I asked angrily. "After everything you put me through!"

"It was something I had to do," Diz explained. "I'm doing my part to keep all worlds safe. You could say that I am a servant of the worlds."

He laughed.

"And, if I'm a servant," he continued, "then you should consider yourself a tool, at best."

That really struck a nerve. He continued treating me like an object. First he said that I was a Nobody, not having the right to know anything. And now I was nothing more than a disposable utensil being used in this guy's master plan. It was horrible to get put down like that.

"Was that…was that supposed to be a joke?" I asked.

I got my keyblade out. I've had it with this guy.

"'Cause I'm not laughing!"

I ran at Diz and swung my blade through him. I turned around; he was completely unharmed.

"My apologies. This is only a data-based projection." Diz said.

My anger was like magma; it rose all the way to the surface and came out of mouth in the form of a scream. This guy was the mastermind behind everything. He took away everything that was precious to me, even if half of it wasn't real. I violently swung my blade across him, not caring in the slightest that he was a hologram. Common sense didn't apply at this point; it was pure rage.

Diz slowly started to fade away. I was getting exhausted from hitting him nonstop. Finally, I gave out. The last hit I landed was slow. Diz disappeared, and I took a moment to catch my breath.

"Are you finished?" Diz asked from behind.

I turned around to face him.

"Hardly," I said. "I hate you so much!"

"You should share some of that hatred with Sora," Diz said. "He's far too nice for his own good."

"No! My heart belongs to me!"

I swung at Diz again, but he vanished. I looked up at the pod in front of me. It flashed brightly for a second, and then it started opening. Through the cracks I could see light, brown spiky hair. When it opened completely, I saw him suspended in mid-air; he was still asleep.

"Sora…"

I knew that this was it. Namine told me I had to make Sora whole, and there was only one way to do that. At first, I wasn't sure if I was ready; I didn't want to leave the life I once knew. But there was a feeling inside that told me to do it. I remembered all the people he had helped. Helping people was in his blood. Being a part of him, I felt the same way. Now I had to help him. It was for the good of everyone, and was good for me, too.

I felt a tear crawl down my face. I wiped it away.

"You're lucky," I said. "Looks like my summer vacation is…over."

I closed my eyes and pictured all of my friends one last time, including Namine. It was the last thing I wanted to see before I went through with this. If I had a chance to say anything to them, it would be 'Thanks for one hell of a summer!' Finally, I felt myself vanishing into the darkness.

But, no matter what happened to me, the memories of my life would never, ever vanish.


	16. Epilouge

**Day 7**

**Epilogue: …is the Beginning of Another**

"Ouch!" Axel cried.

"Hold still," Namine said. "The pain's only brief."

Namine was applying medicine to Axel's shoulder wound. They were sitting at the top of Sunset Hill. Standing nearby them was Ansem; he watched in silence. Namine poured some of the medicine on a cloth and pressed it against the wound on Axel's shoulder. He hissed as felt the pain; it was like needles were stabbing every part of his wound.

"I think I was better off getting beat up," Axel said.

Namine smiled. "It's almost over."

Namine wrapped a bandage around the wound.

"All done," Namine said. "Sadly, I don't have a lollipop to give you."

Axel chuckled. "I never thought there'd be a smart mouth behind that sugar coated face."

Axel stood up and rubbed his shoulder.

"But thanks, anyway," Axel said.

Namine nodded and smiled at Axel. The playful atmosphere was soon brought back down to reality, as sadness appeared on Axel's face.

"What's wrong?" Namine asked.

Axel walked over to the edge of the hill and leaned on the fence. He looked out at the horizon. For a moment, not a word was said. There was a thought on Axel's mind, and he had trouble getting the words out because he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the inevitable truth.

"Hey, tall, dark, and creepy," Axel said. "Is he gone?"

"I'd imagine by now," Ansem said.

Axel sighed sadly. A part of his existence – if one were to call it existence – was gone. Mourning was impossible for a Nobody, but, still, Axel felt like things weren't the same now that he was gone. He continued staring at the horizon, trying to figure out his next course of action. Namine wasn't sure how to respond. Trying to offer her condolences wouldn't be a good idea; he probably wasn't in the mood to talk about it. Namine sat down on a bench right beside the former Organization member.

"We should probably get going," Namine said.

Axel continued looking at the sunset. "And where are you gonna to go? I'm willing to bet you have no place to go. Nor do you have anywhere to go back to."

He turned to Namine.

"Face it, kiddo," he continued. "We nobodies don't get luxuries like everyone else."

Namine picked up her sketch book and looked at it. There were drawings of Sora and Roxas on it.

"You're right," Namine said. "Still, I have some places I want to go. There are people I want to see."

"Yeah, same here," Axel said.

Ansem walked over, and stopped in front of Namine. Axel glanced at Ansem.

"Listen, we're harmless enough," Axel said. "Why don't you just let us go?"

Ansem turned to Axel.

"You're not hiding anything from me," Axel said. "He told you to get rid of us, didn't he?"

Namine gasped. "Really?"

Ansem remained silent. Namine held her sketchbook close. Unlike Roxas, she knew it wasn't her time yet. Having her life silenced now would be devastating. Namine tried to look through Ansem's hood, but she couldn't see anything.

"Go," Ansem said.

Both Axel and Namine were surprised to hear that.

"Where'd the sudden change of heart come from?" Axel asked.

"I owe you two a favor," Ansem said.

"You do?" Namine asked.

"Yes. For your help at Castle Oblivion," Ansem said.

"Okay," Axel said. "Thanks."

Axel extended his left arm. A dark portal appeared beside him.

Axel turned to Namine. "Let's get moving."

Namine looked at Ansem for the moment. She could see that his true memories have returned. However, she wished that he wasn't stuck in his current form. But there was nothing she could do about it. She had to keep running from the Organization; they might come after her next.

"I'm sorry," she said to Ansem.

She stood up and ran into the portal. Axel walked over to the portal, and stopped right in front of it.

"Just to set the record straight: I don't hold a grudge for what you did to him. You were just following that old kook's orders. Besides, I will see him again. No one gets in the way of my goals. Got it memorized?"

Axel walked into the portal, and vanished from Ansem's sight. Suddenly, Ansem heard the sound of a train whistle. He looked over the edge and saw a single car go right under Sunset Hill. The train had a light green coating. On each side of the car, right below the windows, were magic wands imprinted on the train. Resting on top of the car was a giant, silver crown.

After the train went by, Ansem left the area, knowing that someone very important had arrived.

* * *

><p>People made their way out of the train station at Twilight Town. One of the people was a small, portly man. He wore the same dark cloak as Ansem, but his face wasn't as hidden as the aforementioned. He had a big nose and a black moustache. He also wore a red cap underneath his hood that had an "M" printed on the front.<p>

The man walked away from the station, but stopped moments later. He looked up at the clock tower. The big hand slowly prepared to join the little hand at the "twelve" mark. After doing so, the powerful ringing of the bells went off, and it echoed throughout the city.

* * *

><p>Below the mansion, Sora's pod opened completely; he was still fast asleep. That was, until, a familiar voice called out to him.<p>

"Wake up, Sora!" Yoshi called.

Sora started to open his blue eyes.

**To Be Continued in: Kingdom Hearts II: The Nintendo Version….**

* * *

><p>AN: I want to thank everyone for reading. I know it's been so long since I posted anything, but let's just say I've been trying to pull myself together. Now everything's cool and hopefully I will have Chain of Memories rewritten and revised. I'm hoping to release COM:TNV by September 17th of this year, in honor of Kingdom Hearts' 10th Anniversary in North America (but don't hold me to that; I'm going to TRY real hard). As for KH2:TNV, ideas have been forming, and soon I plan to start piecing them together. I have so much planned for it; I'd love to share all of my ideas with you. The only thing I'll tell you is that the replacement for Pirates of the Caribbean is no longer Goldeneye. ;)

Again, I want to thank everyone for reading (and for putting up with my long hiatus). You guys are awesome.

Keep on reading,

Kingdomkey23


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